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WOOD-WORKING 

































HARPER’S 
INDOOR BOOK 


FOR BOYS 


BY 

JOSEPH H. ADAMS 

AUTHOR OF 

“harper’s ELECTRICITY BOOK FOR boys’’ 
AND JOINT AUTHOR OF 
“harper’s OUTDOOR BOOK FOR boys” 


WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS 



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HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 
NEW YORK AND LONDON 
MCMVIIl 


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R iRARY of CONGAS? 
wo Copies rtecw-.x 

APR 9 1900 

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I'JLASM AAc. 

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COPY B. 


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Copyright, 1908, by Harper & Brothers. 

All rights reserved. 

Published April, 1908 . 












CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION . 


Part I 

WOOD-WORKING 

CHAPTER I.—CARPENTRY. 

Tools : How to use them—The Work-bench—A Tool- 
rack—A Tool-chest—Joints— A Low Bench— A High 
Bench— A Step-bench — A Shoe-box— A Shoe-blacking- 
box— A Shoe-blacking-ledge— An Easel— A Clothes- 
tree—Hanging Book-shelves— A Corner Cabinet— A 
Chair— A Table— A Settle— A Suspended Settle— A 
Coal and Wood Box—A Flat-iron Holder—An Um¬ 
brella-stand— A Plant-box— A Final Word 

CHAPTER II—WOOD-CARVING. 

Method and Material—Tools— A Carver’s Bench—Chip¬ 
carving— A Frame for a Small Clock—Other Designs— 
Relief-carving—Mouldings 

CHAPTER III—FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING . . . 

The Tools—The Practice of the Art—The Preparation 
of the Work— A Match-safe— A Wall-bracket— A Fret¬ 
work-box—Other Designs—Wood-turning 

CHAPTER IV—PICTURE MOUNTING AND FRAMING . . 

A Dutch Head Mounting— A Dark Card Mounting— A 
Triple Mounting—Plain Framing— A Sporting Mount 
— A Round-robin Mounting 

vii 


PAGE 

xi 


3 


38 


56 


71 





_ CON TE NTS__ 

Part II 

METAL-WORKING 

PAGE 

CHAPTER V. —VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL¬ 
WORK .81 

Tools and Material— A Lamp-screen—Pattern-making 
— A Standard Screen— A Candlestick— A Candelabra 
—A Fairy Lamp— A Burned-match Holder— A Photo- 
graph-frame— A Handkerchief-box — A Sign-board— 
Double Doorway Grille— A Moorish Lantern 

CHAPTER VI—METAL-BOUND WORK.103 

A Metal-bound Box— A Wood-holder— A Plant-box— A 
Coal-box— A Table-lamp— A Hanging-lamp— A Hang¬ 
ing-plant Box 

CHAPTER VII—DECORATIVE HARDWARE.115 

Materials and Tools — Escutcheons — Short Hinge- 
straps—Long Hinge-straps—Drawer-pulls and Handle- 
plates—Door-plates—Large Lock-plates—Door-knock¬ 
ers and Miscellaneous Ornaments 

CHAPTER VIII.—WIRE-WORK.125 

A Bird-cage Bracket— A Photograph Easel— A Match¬ 
box— A Fairy Lamp— A Picture-frame— A Glove-box— 

A Window-grille 

CHAPTER IX.—GAS AND ELECTRIC SHADES.133 

A Simple Gas-shade—Another Gas-shade— A Metal 
Shade—An Electric-light Screen— A Bell-shaped Shade 
— A Pear-shaped Shade— A Dome-shaped Shade—An¬ 
other Dining-room Shade— A Canopy— A Panel Shade 

CHAPTER X.—RELIEF ETCHING.i 39 

Equipment—The Technique of the Process—The Acid 
Solution—Some Typical Designs 

Part III 

HOUSEHOLD ARTS 

CHAPTER XI— CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 151 

Tools and Methods—The Technique of the Art—Glue 
and Gelatine Moulds—Hollow Casting—Modelling a 

viii 

















CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Foot—Bas-relief Modelling—A Medallion Head—Coin 
and Metal Casts—Plaster-casting in General— How 
to Find and Mount Signets 

CHAPTER XII —PYROGRAPHY.170 

Fire-etching on Wood and Leather—Explanation of 
Methods—A Platinum-point Outfit—A Variety of Work 
on Wood—Suggestive Designs—Leather-work 

CHAPTER XIII.—BOOK-BINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUS¬ 
TRATION .186 

Sheets and Signatures—The Tools—The Practice of the 
Art—Rebinding Books— How to Extra-illustrate a 
Book—A Circulating Library 

CHAPTER XIV.—MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 203 

A Home-made Magic Lantern—A Stereopticon—Lantern 
Slides by Contact-printing—Lantern Slides by Reduc¬ 
tion 

CHAPTER XV—PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 222 

A Simple Flat-bed Press— An Upright Press— A Lever- 
press—Stamping—Embossing 


Part IV 

ROUND ABOUT THE HOUSE 

CHAPTER XVI—A HOUSE GYMNASIUM.237 

Indoor Physical Development — Dumb-bells — Indian 


Clubs—Calisthenic Wands and Ball-bars—Swinging- 
rings—Trapeze Bars—Parallel Bars— A Floor Hori¬ 
zontal Bar—Striking-bags— A Medicine-ball—Pully- 

WEIGHTS AND EXERCISERS-An ATTIC GYMNASIUM 

CHAPTER XVII.—A MINIATURE THEATRE.259 

Arrangement and Lighting—Scenery and Equipment— 

The Puppets 


IX 








CONTENTS 


CHAPTER XVIII.—FITTING UP A BOY’S ROOM . . . . 

Simple Methods and Materials— A Plain Chair— An 
Odd Chair— A Morris Chair— A Settle— A Box-desk— 
A Writing-table — A Whatnot — A Treasure-chest— 
Studying-table and Stool 

CHAPTER XIX.—PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STEN¬ 
CILLING . 

How to Mix and Use Paints—Schemes of Decoration 
—Decorating a Bedroom — A Boy’s Room — Another 
Plan for a Room— A Nursery—Stencilling 


PACE 

267 


283 


CHAPTER XX—NOOKS FOR BOOKS.302 

A Variety of Practical Designs— A Wall-rack —A 
A Book-nest—Another Book-rack— A Corner-nook— 

A Book-tower—Hanging-shelves— A Book-castle— A 
Book-chair— A Book-table— A Magazine-rack— A Box 
Book-case— A Nursery Book-rack—Another Book-rack 
—A Handy Piece of Furniture— A Book-ledge and Stool 


CHAPTER XXI.—CLOCKS AND TIMEPIECES. 

Designs and Materials— A Bracket-clock— A Mantel- 
clock— A Wall-clock— A High Wall-clock— An Odd 
Mantel-clock— A Shelf-clock— An Old-style Timepiece 


CHAPTER XXII.—SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, 
DOW SEATS. 


AND WIN- 


A Light-screen— A Fire-screen— A Shoe-screen— A Bed¬ 
room-door Screen— A Heavy Fire-screen— A Window- 
seat with Under Ledge— A Shoe-box Seat— A Dressing- 
room Settle— A Short Settle— A Foot-rest— A Combina¬ 
tion Shoe-box and Seat— A Double Shoe-box and Seat— 
A Curved-back Window-seat— A Window-seat and Shoe- 
box 

CHAPTER XXIII.—HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES .... 

A Plate-rail— A Cup and Plate Rack— A Cup and Plate 
Pyramid— A Butler’s Tray—Cup-pins and Brush-rack 
—Lock-shelves— A Vegetable-bin— A Spoon-bar and 
Saucepan-rack— A Medicine-chest— A Convenient Plant- 
tray—An Indispensable Clothes-press— A Divan— A 
Corner Dressing-table 


321 


33i 


347 


X 











INTRODUCTION 

I ^HE success of Harper’s Outdoor Book for Boys seems 
to insure a welcome for an indoor handy book, equally 
practical and comprehensive, which shall show how leisure 
time indoors can be spent most pleasantly and profitably. 
When stress of weather, or the coming of long winter even¬ 
ings, or any other reason gives the indoor part of life a 
larger importance, this indoor handy book will be found 
an invaluable companion. Good books and good games 
have their value always, but there is also a large place for 
the joy of actual accomplishment. It is good to do things. 
It is worth while to learn to use hands and eyes in the pro¬ 
duction of working results. And when, as in the case of 
the explanation of this book, achievement goes hand in 
hand with amusement, it is clear that Mr. Adams and his 
associates are the best of companions for an indoor day or 
evening. 

Expensive tools and apparatus are not called for. A boy 
should have good but not necessarily costly tools, and he 
should take proper care of them. Furthermore, whether 
his working-place is in his room or elsewhere, he should feel 
that he is put upon his honor to remove any rubbish and 
to avoid injury to floor or walls. Let us understand at the 
outset that the explanation in these pages can be followed 


xi 


_INTRODUCTION_ __ 

at very little expense, but in this work, as in everything else, 
common-sense is necessary. To use one tool for work 
to which another is adapted, or to neglect one’s imple¬ 
ments, or allow them to get wet and to rust or to become 
hopelessly dulled or nicked, is a sign of shiftlessness. A 
good workman always takes care of his tools, and he also 
keeps his work-bench in order. The very mention of work 
in a boy’s room, or even indoors, may excite fears of disorder 
on the part of the mother; but experience has shown that 
with care on the part of the boy, and some concessions from 
the mother, these fears are groundless. 

It is desirable that a boy should have a place, whether it 
be in the cellar or attic, or a corner of his room, definitely 
devoted to his own work. It is also a useful training for 
him to feel that he is put upon honor both to confine his 
work to his own bounds, and also to “tidy up” whenever 
he leaves his task. With a little patience and oversight all 
this can be adjusted to the mutual satisfaction of the house¬ 
hold and the boy. 

In addition to the training in various directions which 
we have indicated, the suggestions in these pages will help 
the boy to make things which are useful—to become a con¬ 
tributor to his home. A glance at the Table of Contents 
shows, under “ Wood-working,” an introduction to the use 
of carpenters’ tools, and instructions in making picture- 
frames and ornamented wood-carving. Of late years orna¬ 
mental work for lamps, sconces, hinges, and a variety of 
purposes has steadily grown in favor, and the second divis¬ 
ion of the book tells how a great variety of decorative and 

useful objects in metal may be made. When so much ex- 

• • 

Xll 






_ _ INTRODUCTION_ 

perience has been gained, the boy can readily take up more 
advanced work, such as modelling in clay, and plaster cast¬ 
ing; bookbinding, and the kindred craft of extra-illustra¬ 
tion ; pyrography, or decorative work in burnt wood; print¬ 
ing, stamping, and embossing; and the construction and use 
of the stereopticon. In Part IV. the young craftsman is 
shown how he may employ the technical knowledge he has 
acquired in the fitting up and decoration of his room; in 
the building and operating of a miniature theatre; in the 
installation of a home gymnasium; and in the making of 
various objects of ornament and utility for the household. 
Amateur photography has been purposely omitted, since 
there are many excellent and practical manuals on the sub¬ 
ject that have been published by the various camera manu¬ 
facturers for gratuitous distribution. It is easy to see the 
possibilities for usefulness, for beauty, and for amusement 
in the home, which are brought within reach in these pages; 
and these instructions also represent possibilities for earning 
money. In, schools where manual training receives atten¬ 
tion, and, indeed, in any school library, this book will prove 
peculiarly useful. 

Here, as in the Outdoor Handy Book , it has been kept 
in mind that there will be neither fun nor profit in doing 
these things unless the way is made clear, and it is certain 
that the desired results will follow if the directions are 
carried out. Everything, therefore, has been tested, and 
all the instructions are put in simple, practical form. It is 
a friendly, well-tried, and reliable household companion that 
comes to young Americans in Harper’s Indoor Book for 
Boys . 


xm 










Part I 


WOOD-WORKING 








Chapter I 


CARPENTRY 



ARPENTRY, or the science of making things out of 


wood, is the oldest and comes the closest to us of any 
of the applied arts and crafts. The earliest men made clubs 
at least. Later they began to build, to construct, and it is 
interesting to remember that this ability to construct is a 
faculty shared with man by the animals. There are many 
species of birds that build well-designed nests; the spider is 
a weaver ; the bee is a geometrician; the ant is a tunnel 
builder; the beaver, in the construction of his dams and 
breakwaters, displays engineering ability of a high order. 
The vital difference between the animal and the human in¬ 
telligence lies in the fact that the latter is progressive. 
The spider weaves just the same pattern to-day that he 
did when the Pyramids were young; the mathematical sec¬ 
tion of the bee cell is invariable; the mud-swallows build the 
same kind of houses as their remotest ancestors. The com¬ 
mon explanation is that instinct and not reason guides the 
animal in his work, and instinct is a reproductive faculty, 
not an inventive one. It is for man alone to progress from 
the crude beginnings of an art to its highest and most per¬ 
fect development. 


3 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


Perhaps the first and most urgent need of all living creat¬ 
ures is for shelter. The oriole weaves his hanging nest; the 
beaver constructs his wonderfully domed house; primitive 
man builds his hut of interlaced boughs. But it is man 
alone who is not content with the first crude efforts; he is 
constantly aiming after something more substantial and 
better adapted to his increasing needs. So man becomes 
the true builder, and as wood is the simple and almost 
universally obtainable material, carpentry, or the art of 
working in wood, stands at the head of the applied sciences 
upon which the civilization of the race depends. 

The average boy takes to carpentry as naturally as ducks 
take to water, and beginning with the tacks a baby boy will 
hammer in a board, the young builder goes on from the 
simple to the more complex forms until he attains the full 
mastery of his material and his tools. He has now obtained 
the dignity of manhood; he is a maker of things. 

Once proficient in the art of cutting, joining, and fasten¬ 
ing wood-work, and in the use and care of tools, a boy may 
begin to call himself a carpenter. But he must learn to 
work systematically and accurately if he is ever to become 
a genuine craftsman. In the first place, he should under¬ 
stand the possibilities and limitations of his tools. He 
should never use a chisel for a screw-driver, nor drive nails 
with the butt end of a plane. Good tools should have good 
care. Inanimate things that they are, they yet resent ill- 
usage, and retaliate, in their own way, by becoming dull 
and otherwise unfit for their work. Indeed, a good car¬ 
penter may be known by the condition of his tool-chest 
and work-bench. Carpentry, when properly carried on, is 

4 






CARPENTRY 


a most fascinating occupation for out-of-school hours, es¬ 
pecially in the winter season, when bad weather keeps one 
indoors. Needless to say, it may be made a profitable way 
of passing time as well as an amusing one. 


Tools 

The tools that a boy will need in order to do good joiner- 
work should be the same as carpenters use, but they may 
be smaller and not so cumbersome to handle. The set of 
tools in a chest, put up for the use of children and sold at 
toyshops, are not the sort that can be relied upon for good 
carpentry work, since they are usually dull and made of 
soft steel that will not hold an edge. Possibly the manu¬ 
facturer thinks that he is justified in turning out this kind 
of rubbish, bearing in mind the old saying, “ Children should 
not play with edged tools.” But the boy who is old enough 
to take up carpentry in earnest is entitled to the use of 
good and serviceable implements, and without them it is 
hardly worth while starting at the business. 

Competition has brought down the cost of good tools to 
a point where they are not beyond the means of the average 
boy who is prepared to save his pocket-money. It is bet¬ 
ter to purchase only a small kit at first, and then to add 
to it from time to time, until the complete outfit is obtained. 

Good tools may be purchased at nearly every hardware 
shop or general store throughout the country. For ordi¬ 
nary work you will require a good rip and cross-cut saw, 
with twenty and twenty-four inch blades, respectively; 
a claw-hammer, and a smaller one; a wooden mallet for 

5 






_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

chisels, and to knock together the lap joints of wood; a 
jack and a smoothing plane; a compass-saw; a brace and 
several sizes of bitts, ranging from a quarter to one inch in 
diameter; a draw-knife; a square; awls; pliers; a rule; sev¬ 
eral firmer-chisels, and a screw-driver. There are many other 
useful tools, but they may be added as they are required. 

It is a difficult matter to instruct a boy, by written de¬ 
scription, how to handle tools; and rather than attempt it, 
I should advise the young workman to watch a carpenter 
at his work. Most carpenters are quite willing to have you 
follow their movements, and many of them will even offer 
advice, if they see that you are really interested. But re¬ 
member that a good workman never likes to have a boy 
meddle with his tools, and you should not ask foolish or 
unnecessary questions. 

Perhaps there is a carpenter’s shop near your home in 
which the owner may let you work occasionally (if you 
keep out of his way), and where, in the atmosphere of the 
craft, you will make faster progress than you can possibly 
do at home with no one to tell or show you how things 
should be done. 

The Work-bench 

One of the indispensable pieces of equipment for the 
boy carpenter is a good work-bench. The bench must be 
substantially made, and provided with a planing-stop, a 
vise, and a drawer in which to keep small tools, nails, screws, 
and the various odds and ends that are employed in car¬ 
pentry. 

To begin with, obtain four spruce or white-wood sticks, 

6 








CARPENTRY 


three inches square and thirty-six inches long, planed on 
all sides. These are for the legs. You will also need two 
pieces of clear pine, or white-wood, three feet long and six 



inches wide, and two more the same length and three inches 
wide. These pieces should be one and an eighth inches thick, 
and planed on all sides and edges. 

7 










































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


Lay two of the legs on the floor, three feet apart, and 
join the ends with one of the six-inch strips. Six inches up 
from the free ends fasten a narrow strip, as shown in Fig. 
2 A. This finishes one of the end supports. Flat-headed 
iron screws, two and a half inches long, should be used for 
the unions, and a tighter joint may be secured by also using 
glue. 

Prepare, in similar fashion, the other pair of legs, and, 
with two pieces of clear pine, or white-wood, five feet long, 
eight inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick, bind 
the four legs together, as shown in Fig. 3. You should 
allow the boards to project six inches beyond the legs at 
both ends. These pieces are the side-rails, or aprons, and 
they should be securely fastened with glue and screws to 
the upper end of each leg. 

At the back of the bench arrange two braces of wood, 
three inches wide and seven-eighths of an inch thick, as 
shown in Fig. 3. Bevelled laps are to be cut in the side of 
two legs, as shown in Fig. 2 B, into which the ends of the 
strips will fit flush. The upper ends of the strips are to 
be mitred (cut at an angle), and attached to the inside of 
the apron, as shown in Fig. 3. 

For the top of the bench use clear pine planking not less 
than one inch in thickness. This should be fitted closely 
together, and fastened to the cross - pieces with stout 
screws. 

From hard-wood a piece should be shaped for a vise-jaw 
thirty-two inches long, three inches wide at the bottom, 
and seven inches wide at the top. Near the bottom of the 
jaw an oblong hole should be cut to receive the end of a 

8 






CARPENTRY 


sliding piece, which in turn is provided with several holes 
for a peg to fit into. A corresponding oblong hole is cut 
near the foot of one leg, through which the piece containing 
the holes will pass. This last regulates the spread of the 
jaw. This construction may be seen in Fig. 4, and its final 
position is shown in the illustration of the finished bench 
(Fig. 1). 

Near the top of the jaw a hole is cut to receive the screw 
that is turned with the lever-stick to tighten the jaw. A 
bench-screw may be purchased at any hardware store, and 
fitted to the work-bench. If it should prove too much of 
an undertaking for the youthful workman, a carpenter will 
put it in place at a trifling cost. The wood screws are the 
cheapest, but the steel ones are the most satisfactory, and 
will cost about one dollar for a small one. 

From the apron (at the front of the bench) a piece should 
be cut fifteen inches long and six inches wide. This open¬ 
ing will admit a drawer of the same width and height, and 
as deep as may be desired. Twenty-four inches will be 
quite deep enough. 

Rabbets are cut in the ends of a front piece, and the sides 
are let into them, as shown in Fig. 5. The bottom and back 
are fastened in with screws, and the drawer is arranged to 
slide on runners that are fastened across the bench inside 
the aprons, as shown in the upper corner of Fig. 3. 

At the front of the drawer a cove may be cut out, and a 
thin plate of iron screwed fast across the top of it, so that 
the fingers may be passed in behind the plate to pull out 
the drawer (Fig. 5). It will not do to use a projecting 
drawer-pull, as that would interfere with pieces of work 

9 





_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS__ 

when clamped in the vise. In planing strips, or boards, 
that are too long for the vise to hold securely, a wooden 
peg, inserted in a hole at the opposite end of the apron 
from the vise, will be found convenient. Two or three 
holes may be made for boards of different widths, and 
the peg adjusted to the proper one as occasion re¬ 
quires. 

A planing-stop, with teeth, may be purchased at a hard¬ 
ware store and set in place near the vise-jaw. The com¬ 
plete bench will then be ready for use. 

A Tool-rack 

For the accommodation of chisels, gouges, screw-drivers, 
awls, compass-saws, pliers, and other small tools a tool-rack 
will be found convenient. It should be fastened against 
the wall immediately over the work-bench. 

The one shown in Fig. 6 is thirty-six inches long and 
twelve inches high, with a ledge projecting two inches from 
the back-board. A leather strap is caught along the 
upper part of the board with nails to form loops, into which 
the tools are slipped. 

The ledge is made from two strips of wood. One of them, 
one and a half inches in width, is cut with a saw, as shown in 
Fig. 7, and the superfluous wood, between the saw-cuts, is 
removed with a chisel. When all the notches are cut, a 
narrow strip, half an inch in width, is screwed fast to the 
notched strip. The ledge is then attached to the lower 
edge of the back-board with long screws, as indicated in the 
illustration. 











CARPENTRY 


A Tool-cabinet 

The hanging tool-cabinet shown in Fig. 8 should be con¬ 
structed with two doors of nearly equal size, so that four 
instead of two surfaces may be available, against which to 
hang tools. 

The body part of the chest is thirty inches high, twenty 
inches wide, and nine inches deep, outside measure. It is 
made of wood three-quarters of an inch in thickness, fas¬ 
tened together with screws and glue, and varnished to im¬ 
prove its appearance. 

The right side of the cabinet is but three and a half 
inches wide, and to this the inner door is made fast with 
hinges, so that it will swing in against a stop-moulding on 
the opposite side, as shown at A in Fig. 9. A small bolt 
will fasten the door in place when shut in, and on both sides 
of this door hooks and pegs may be arranged for the reception 
of tools. The back-board of the cabinet may be used for 
hanging saws, squares, and other flat tools, as indicated in 

Fig- 8- 

The outer door is provided with a side-strip (Fig. 9 B) 
of such size that when the doors are closed in and locked 
the appearance of the chest will be uniform, with a cross- 
section appearing, as shown in Fig. 9 C. With a little care¬ 
ful planning and figuring it will not be a difficult matter to 
construct this cabinet. Take particular care to have the 
doors fit snugly and close easily. The doors will keep 
their shape better if they are made from narrow matched 
boards, held together at the ends with battens, or strips, 
nailed across the ends of the boards, as shown in Fig. 9 D. 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



Two-inch wrought butts will be heavy enough for the doors, 
and a cabinet-lock at the edge of the outer door will make 
all secure. 

On the inside of the outer door some tool-pegs may be 
arranged. Near the bottom a bitt-rack should be fitted, 


12 













































CARPENTRY 


with a leather strap formed into loops, as described for the 
tool-rack. Under each loop a hole should be bored in a 
strip of wood, into which the square end of the bitts will 
fit, and thus insure their orderly position. For chisels a 
similar set of pockets may be designed as shown in Fig. 8. 

A Tool-chest 

The tool-chest shown in Fig. io is twenty-eight inches 
long, fifteen wide, and twelve inches high. This is a good 
size for the accommodation of a moderate-sized kit of tools. 
The interior fittings should include two or three trays ar¬ 
ranged to rest on runners and to slide back and forth, so 
that tools may be reached at the bottom of the chest with¬ 
out removing the trays. 

Obtain a pine or white-wood board fifteen inches wide, 
and free from knots or sappy places. Cut two pieces twenty- 
eight inches long, and two shorter ones twelve inches long. 
These will form the top, bottom, and ends. Cut out the 
front and back pieces twenty-eight inches long and twelve 
inches wide; then with glue and screws form a box, and let 
it stand a day until the glue is hard. Make the joints as 
perfect and tight as possible, so as to present a good ap¬ 
pearance; then mark a line around the box two and a half 
inches from the top. 

With a rip-saw cut the cover free from the body, and 
plane the rough edges of the cut, so that the cover will fit 
the body snugly. Bind the lid and the top and bottom 
edges of the chest with a strip of wood three-eighths of an 
inch in width, as shown in the illustration; to look well, 

13 




_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

the corners should be mitred. The lid is attached to the 
chest with stout hinges, and a lock is arranged at the front. 
Stout handles at the sides will be found a convenience. 

Two or three coats of olive-green paint, with a slightly 
darker shade for the bands, will improve the appearance of 
the chest. To keep the hardware from rusting, the lock, 
hinges, and handles should receive a coat or two of black 
paint. 

Joints 

One of the first lessons for the young carpenter to learn 
will be that of making wood joints. Without good joiner- 
work there is no such thing as carpentry, and it is the sign- 
manual of the competent artificer. There are a great 
variety of joints employed in carpentry, but many of them 
are too complicated for the boy carpenter to make, and 
the simple forms will answer every reasonable require¬ 
ment. 

The easiest joint to make is the straight, or box, joint. 
It is constructed by butting the end of one board against 
the edge of another and nailing, or screwing, them fast. 

Fig. ii shows a lap-joint made by cutting away a portion 
of the wood on opposite sides of the ends which are to be 
joined. When fastened the wood will appear as a continuous 
piece. For corners and angles, where a mitre-box is not 
available, the lap-joint is a very good substitute, and for 
many uses it is stronger than the mitred-joint, and, there¬ 
fore, to be preferred. 

Fig. 12 is another form of lap-joint, where the end of a 
strip is embedded in the surface of a stout piece of wood. 

14 






CARPENTRY 


This joint will be found useful in furniture work, and also 
for frame construction in general. 

Fig. 13 is a bevelled lap-joint, and is used for timbers and 
posts, particularly under conditions where the joint can be 
reinforced by another piece of wood at one or two sides. 

Fig. 14 shows a mortise and tenon. The hole in the up¬ 
right piece is the mortise and the shaped end on the stick 
is the tenon. The shaped end should fit the hole accurately, 
and the joint is usually held with a pin, or nails, driven 
through the side of the upright piece and into the body of 
the stick embedded in the mortise. The mortise and tenon 
is used extensively in framing, and for doors, window- 
sashes, and blinds. In cabinet work it is indispensable. 

Fig. 15 is the mitred-joint. In narrow wood it is usually 
cut in a mitre-box with a stiff back-saw to insure accuracy 
in the angles. The mitred-joint is employed for picture- 
frames, screens, mouldings, and all sorts of angle-joints. 

Fig. 16 is the tongue-and-groove joint, and is cut on the 
edges of boards that are to be laid side by side, such as floor¬ 
ing, weather-boards, and partitions. Before wood-working 
machinery came into general use the tongues and grooves 
were all hand-cut with planes, but a tongue - and - groove 
plane is now almost obsolete, all this class of building 
material being mill finished. 

Fig. 17 A is a rabbet. It is cut on the edges of wood, 
and another similarly shaped piece fits into it. It is also 
useful where wood laps over some other material, such as 
glass or metal. The inner moulding of picture-frames are 
always provided with a rabbet, behind which the edge of 
the glass, picture, and backing-boards will fit. 

15 






JOINTS, RABBETS, AND BENCHES 











































































































































































_CARPEN TRY _ _ 

Fig. 17 B is a rabbet-joint made with a rabbet and groove. 
It is a good one to employ for box corners, and where the 
edges of two pieces of wood come together. 

Fig.18 is the dovetail-joint used for boxes, drawer corners, 
chests, and sometimes in cabinet work, where the corners 
are to be covered with mouldings or edging-strips. 

Fig. 19 is the straight dovetail employed in the cheap 
construction of small boxes for hardware, groceries, and other 
wares. Since the edges are straight, this is the easier one 
to make, but care must be taken to have the fitting accurate. 

A Low Bench 

Small benches are useful to work upon when sawing, 
nailing, and matching boards; and they are handy for many 
purposes about the house. The low bench shown in Fig. 
20 is fifteen inches high and twelve inches wide, and the 
top is twenty-two inches long. The foot-pieces are cut as 
shown in Fig. 21, and at the upper end at each side a piece 
is cut out to let in the side-aprons. The aprons are three 
inches wide and seven-eighths of an inch thick; they are 
held to the foot-pieces with glue and screws. In the top a 
finger-hole is cut so that the bench may be quickly picked 
up and the more easily handled. 

A High Bench 

The high bench shown in Fig. 22 is twelve inches square 
and twenty-four inches high, with a top fourteen inches 
square. The wood is seven-eighths of an inch thick, and 

17 


2 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

all the joints are made with screws. A hand-hole is cut in 
the top with a compass or key-hole saw, and all the edges 
are sand-papered to round them off. 


A Step-bench 

A step-bench will be found useful for various purposes. 
It does not take up so much room as a step-ladder and affords 
a more solid footing. The bench shown in Fig. 23 is thirty 
inches high, fifteen inches wide, and eighteen inches deep. 
The uprights that support the sides are five inches wide; 
the treads of the first and second steps are six inches wide, 
and that of the top step eight inches wide. The wood is 
seven-eighths of an inch thick, planed on both sides, and all 
the unions are made with screws. The cross-brace at the 
back and near the bottom is set into laps cut in the edges 
of the upright supports, and to prevent the support and side- 
pieces from spreading, stanchion - bars may be screwed 
fast to the sides, under the first tread, and to the foot of the 
uprights. 

Two or three coats of paint will finish these benches and 
make them fit for use about the house. 

A Shoe-box 

A shoe-box and seat (Fig. 24) is a useful piece of furniture 
in any bedroom. Two boxes, purchased at a grocery store, 
may be made to serve the purpose, but for a really neat 
and workmanlike job the frame should be constructed of 
boards three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch in thick- 

18 







CARPENTRY 


ness. A good size for the shoe receptacle is twenty-four 
inches high, fifteen inches deep, and sixteen inches wide. 
The seat-box should be thirty inches long, and fifteen inches 
high and deep. 

These boxes are to be attached to each other with stout 
screws, and a back the length of the two boxes, and having 



a rounded corner is to be securely fastened to the rear of 
each box, as shown in Fig. 24 A. In the shoe-box two shelves 
are screwed fast, and to the lower box a corner should be 
arranged on hinges so that it may be raised from the front. 
The back and seat and also the top of the shoe-box should 
be covered with denim, under which a padding of hair or 
cotton may be placed. The denim should be caught down 

19 



























































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


with carriage-buttons and string, the latter being passed 
through holes made in the wood and tied at the underside. 
Around the front and sides a flounce of cretonne or denim 
may be gathered, and hung from the top edge of the box 
and seat. If finished with gimp and brass-headed tacks it 
will present a good appearance. Where the drop-curtain 
at the edge of the shoe-box meets the seat the fabric is to 



T\<*25 


TiQ :26 



be divided, in order that it may be drawn to one side when 
taking out or replacing shoes. 

A coat of shellac, or paint, will cover such parts of the 
wood-work as are not hidden by the upholstery. Fig. 
24 shows the finished article of furniture. 


. A Shoe-blacking-box 

Every boy should own a shoe-blacking-box, such as is 
shown in Fig. 25. Otherwise, the brushes and blacking-box 
are apt to get widely separated, and are never at hand when 
they are wanted. Moreover, it is a slovenly practice to use 
a chair or stool as a foot-rest when engaged in polishing 


20 














CARPENTRY 


one’s shoes, since the blacking is sure to discolor and dirty 
whatever it touches. This shoe-blacking-box is twenty-four 
inches high and eighteen inches square, the compartment 
being four inches deep. Four sticks, two inches square and 
twenty-four inches long, will form the legs. Each stick 
should be cut away at one end three-quarters of an inch 
deep for a distance of five inches, as shown in Fig. 26, so 
that when the side boards are fastened to them the joints 
will be flush. Two sides of each stick should thus be cut 
away, and the small end of the stick may be tapered slightly. 
The side boards, of three-quarter-inch wood and five inches 
wide, are screwed fast to the top of the legs. 

A bottom sixteen and a half inches square is cut from 
boards and fastened inside the frame, where it is held in 
place with steel-wire nails driven through the lower edge of 
the side boards and into the edge of the bottom, all around. 

Four brackets are cut and fastened with screws at each 
side of the box, under the side boards. A cover is made 
and hinged to the box, where it is prevented from falling 
too far back by a chain attached to the underside of the lid 
and to the inside of the box. 

Over the front edge of the box bend a strip of zinc and 
tack it fast to both the in and outside of the front board. 
This will prevent shoes from chafing the wood away, and is 
easily cleaned when muddied up. 

With a thin piece of wood make a division in the box at 
one side, where blacking and daubers may be kept. Also 
a drawer may be fitted to slide in and out under the box. 
It should be constructed as described for the work-bench, 
and arranged to work on runners fastened to the inside of 


21 







_IN DO OR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

the legs. Screw-eyes or staples should be driven into the 
ends of the brushes and daubers, so that they may be hung 
up in an orderly manner on hooks set in the wall imme¬ 
diately over the ledge. 

A few thin coats of olive-green or light-brown paint will 
add to the appearance of this shoe-blacking-box, and the 
owner should take pride in keeping it clean, and the brushes 
in good order. 

A Shoe-blacking-ledge 

In a cellar where one of the chimneys is built with a 
recess, a shoe-blacking-ledge may be made from four boards 
five inches wide. The bottom is slatted, so that dirt will 
fall through. Fig. 27 shows quite clearly how this can be 
done. One end is partitioned off to hold the box of blacking. 

The ledge is twenty-four inches high, and the front board 
is bound with a strip of zinc along the upper edge. The 
blacking-brushes may be kept in the tray, but it is a better 
plan to hang them up against the brick-work on steel nails. 
If the brushes are to be kept inside the tray, a lid should be 
made and hinged to the back strip of the tray. When the 
lid is raised it may be held against the brick wall with a 
wooden button. 

An Easel 

Boys who have a talent for drawing and painting would 
undoubtedly like to have an easel on which to work, and a 
good strong one may be made, at moderate cost, in the 
following manner (Fig. 28). 

Obtain four pieces of clear white pine six feet long, two 










CARPENTRY 


and a half inches wide, and seven - eighths of an inch in 
thickness. These should be planed on all sides. Two of 
the sticks should be tapered off at one end, and slightly 
bevelled at the other. Nine inches from the top and 
twelve inches up from the bottom laps are to be cut in the 
sticks at the back, as shown in Fig. 29. Into these the 
ends of cross-pieces will fit. If the concealed lap is too both¬ 
ersome to make, it can be cut clear across the sticks, as 
shown in Fig. 30. Glue and screws will make a strong joint. 

The remaining long stick is the back support, or leg, and 



T 7 1 (q- 3 I 

is to be hinged to the upper cross-piece. With this leg the 
easel may be pitched at any angle, and to prevent it from 

23 




















































_INDOOR BOOK FOR B OYS 

going back too far a guide-chain should be attached to the 
leg, and the ends secured to the back of each upright with 
staples. Holes are bored along the uprights at even dis¬ 
tances apart, and two wooden pegs are cut to fit snugly in 
the holes, and so hold a drawing-board or canvas-stretcher. 


A Clothes-tree 

A clothes-tree is a most serviceable article of furniture, 
and helps a boy to form habits of neatness and orderliness 
in the care of his wearing apparel. To make the one 
shown in Fig. 31 obtain a clear pine or ash stick one and a 
half inches square and five feet long for the upright, or staff. 
Also two pieces eighteen inches long, two inches wide, and 
three-quarters of an inch thick for the feet; and four braces 
twelve inches long, one and a half inches wide, and three- 
quarters of an inch in thickness. 

Cut a lap in the middle of each foot-piece, as shown in 
Fig. 32, and with glue and screws fasten them securely to¬ 
gether, as shown in Fig. 33. Screw this foot fast to the 
bottom of the upright stick, and strengthen the four pro¬ 
jecting feet with braces bevelled at the ends, so that they 
will rest against the upright and on the foot, where they can 
be fastened with screws, as shown in Fig. 34. Under the 
end of each foot, the half of a small wooden ball, or a castor, 
may be arranged to raise the tree from the floor. With a 
chisel and plane taper the top of the upright stick, as shown 
in Fig. 31. 

At a hardware store purchase eight hooks and arrange 
them in alternating pairs, as shown in the drawing. The 

24 











CARPENTRY 


wood-work should be shellacked or painted to give it a 
finished appearance. 

When hanging clothes upon this tree place the coat, vest, 
and trousers on the lower hooks, the shirt and underclothing 
on the hooks next above, and on the top hooks the necktie 
and collar and cuffs. When dressing, the clothing needed 
first will then be the nearest to hand. 


Hanging Book-shelves 

In a room where space cannot be given up to a standing 
bookcase, it may be possible to arrange a set of shelves to 
form a book-rack that will hang against the wall. The 
construction of the hanging shelves shown in Fig. 35 is 
very simple, and will require but a few boards, two wall- 
strips, and a few yards of strong rope. 

For the shelves, obtain five pine boards eight inches wide, 
seven-eighths of an inch thick, and from three to four feet 
long; also two pine strips three inches wide, an inch thick, 
and four feet long. In the rear edge of each board, at the 
ends, cut notches three inches long and an inch wide, as 
shown in Fig. 35 A, into which the wall-strips will fit. Round 
off the top of each wall-strip and screw them fast to the 
notched edges of the shelves, first boring gimlet holes in 
both strips and shelves to prevent splitting of the wood. 

Half-inch holes at the top of each wall-strip will admit 
the suspension rope, which is of manila, and half an inch in 
diameter. Knot one end of the rope and pass it up through 
holes made at the outer corners of each shelf, and finally 
through the hole at the top of the wall-strips, and cut it off 

2 5 








INDOOR BOO K FOR B OYS_ 

three inches back of the hole. With a gouge-chisel a groove 
should be made at the back of the wall-strip for an inch or 
two below the hole, so that the rope end may be carried 
down and ravelled out. It can then be glued and held fast 
to the wood with staples. Where the rope passes through 
the hole in each shelf, drive several long steel-wire nails into 
the edge and end of the board, allowing the nails to pass 
through the rope and into the wood. 

Paint or varnish the wood-work, and securely anchor the 
wall-plates with stout screws driven into the frame timbers, 
through the lath and plaster of the wall. 

A Corner Cabinet 

A corner cabinet of odd design and simple construction is 
shown in Fig. 36. The total height of the wall-plates should 
be thirty-four inches, and at the top the shelf measures 
eighteen inches across. Each shelf is rounded out at the 
front so as to afford more surface on which to place books 
and bric-a-brac. The ends of each shelf are securely at¬ 
tached to the side cr wall-plates with screws, thus insuring 
a perfect anchorage and a strong construction. 

Fig. 37 is a plan showing the shape of the sides or wall- 
plates. At the widest part they should measure twelve 
inches across. Fig. 38 is a plan of the top shelf, which is 
followed in shape by the others. They decrease, however, 
in size as they near the bottom. The notch at the middle of 
each shelf breaks the long curved line in a pleasing manner. 
Two light metal rods from which curtains hang may be 
arranged under the top shelf and the one next the bottom. 

26 











7~7"T? T’T'T ~ «* >*! 


• N .ifc ' \ . j#’ 



?iq-37 


~FiCr38 


HANGING BOOK-SHELVES AND CHAIR CABINET 






















































































































































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


Shellac or paint of some appropriate shade will add to the 
appearance of this useful piece of furniture. 

When fastening this cabinet to the wall, care should be 
taken to pass the screws securely into the studding or up¬ 
rights. Otherwise the screws might pull out under the 
accumulated weight, and a fall would be disastrous to both 
the cabinet and its contents. 

A Chair 

The construction of a chair is perhaps as interesting as 
anything in carpentry. The one shown in Fig. 39 may be 
made from either soft or hard-wood, the joints being all 
open and simple to cut. 

The legs are two inches square, the seat is sixteen inches 
square and eighteen inches high, and the back posts are 
thirty-six inches long. The front and back posts are cut 
out, as shown in Fig. 40 A and B. These receive the cross¬ 
pieces that bind the legs and back together. The posts are 
two inches wide and three-quarters of an inch thick. The 
side braces are set two inches up from the floor and the 
back one four inches. The front brace is let into the rear 
of the front legs, and is eight inches from the floor to the 
lower edge. 

The seat is made from matched boards, and the back, 
ten inches wide, is made from a single board, all the joints 
being glued and screwed together. Chairs that are made in 
shops usually have the joints dowelled or mortised, but the 
lap-joint is the easiest and strongest one to make. Take 
care, however, that the cuts are accurately sawed, and that 

28 









CARPENTRY 


the cross-pieces fit the laps so snugly that a mallet is neces¬ 
sary to help drive the strips home. 

The seat and back of this chair may be covered with 
denim, leather, or other upholstery material, drawn over 
curled hair, or cotton may be used for padding, and fastened 
down around the edges with large flat-headed tacks or up¬ 
holstery nails. Shellac, varnish, or paint may be used to 
give the wood-work a good appearance. 


A Table 

It is not so difficult as it may seem to make a good strong 
table, but care and perseverance must be exercised to ob¬ 
tain a satisfactory result. When constructing a table bear 
in mind that every joint should be made to fit accurately; 
otherwise it will quickly rack and become useless. The 
proportions and shape for a serviceable table are shown in 
Fig. 41. Only well-seasoned wood should be employed, and 
it should be free from knots or sappy places. 

For the legs, obtain four sticks thirty-three inches long 
and two and a half inches square. From two sides, near the 
end of each stick, cut the wood away for five inches to a 
depth of seven-eighths of an inch, as shown (at the top) in 
Fig. 40 B. Now cut two boards five inches wide and forty- 
two inches long, and four more thirty inches long for the 
frame. Six inches from the uncut ends of the legs saw and 
chisel out laps, so that two of the thirty-inch lengths will 
fit into them, and with two long and two short boards unite 
the legs, thereby forming a frame thirty inches wide, forty- 
two inches long, and thirty-three inches high. An under- 

29 











INDOOR B OO K FOR BOY S_ 

shelf may be made twelve inches wide and long enough to 
extend two or three inches over the cross-strips. 

The table top extends over the framework for three 
inches all around, and it is made of narrow tongue-and- 
grooved boards driven together and screwed down to the 
band around the top, formed by the thirty and forty-two- 
inch boards. To finish this top nicely it may be covered 
with felt, or with imitation leather, in old-red, green, or 
brown shades, caught under the edge and made fast with 
stout tacks. 

A Settle 

A comfortable settle (Fig. 42), for the piazza or yard, may 
be made from pine, white-wood, cypress, or almost any other 
wood that may be at hand. 

It is fifty-four inches long, eighteen inches wide, and the 
seat is eighteen inches above the ground. The sides are 
made from strips three inches wide and seven - eighths of 
an inch thick, as shown in Fig. 43 A. The arms are twenty 
inches long, six inches broad at the front, and cut the shape 
shown in Fig. 43 B. The notches or laps cut in the rear 
posts are to let in the strips forming the back and lower 
brace. 

The joints should be made with screws rather than nails, 
as they hold better and do not work loose. Small brackets 
support the arms at the front corner posts, and a batten at 
the middle strengthens the back of the settle. A close in¬ 
spection of the drawings will show the joints clearly and 
indicate how the frame is put together. A few coats of 
paint will finish the wood nicely, or it may be stained and 









varnished if the wood has a pretty grain. Cushions and a 
sofa-pillow or two will add to the comfort of this commodi¬ 
ous seat. 


CARPENTRY 


TlGf. 42 


A Suspended Settle 

A suspended settle (Fig. 44) is a convenient piece of 
piazza furniture, and not a difficult thing for the young 
carpenter to make. 

The corner posts are two and a half inches square, and the 
boards used in its construction are seven-eighths of an 
inch thick and four inches wide. The seat is forty-two 

3 1 


» 









































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


inches long and eighteen inches wide, and the back is fifteen 
inches high from the seat. The arms are cut as shown in 
Fig. 43 B, and securely screwed to the corner posts. The 
frame-pieces supporting the seat-boards are let into the 
back and front posts, in which laps have been cut, as shown 
at Fig. 45 A and B. They should be securely fastened with 
flat-headed screws. Both the rail to which the backing- 
boards are attached and the rear ends of the arms are let 
into the corner post and fastened with screws. 

The seat is suspended from the ceiling of the piazza on 
four chains that may be purchased at a hardware store or 
from a ship-chandler, or they may'be made by a blacksmith 
from iron three-eighths of an inch in diameter. If it is not 
possible to obtain the chains, rope may be substituted, but 
it will not look or last so well. 

Two yokes bolted to the top of the back posts and eye- 
straps for the front posts will anchor the chains securely to 
the settle. The yoke is shown at Fig. 45 C, and the eye- 
strap at Fig. 45 D. A bolt passed through the top of the 
rear posts and through the holes in the yoke will secure the 
latter firmly, and a nut will prevent it from slipping loose. 
Holes are made in the arms, and the eye-straps are passed 
down through them and attached to the front corner posts 
with screws, as shown in Fig. 44. The back of the settle is 
composed of boards four inches wide and placed an inch 
apart. 

A Coal and Wood Box 

A combination box for coal and wood may be made from 
an ordinary shoe-box, the sides and one end being cut down 

32 









CARPENTRY 


as shown in Fig. 46; but a more serviceable one is construct¬ 
ed of boards seven-eighths of an inch thick, planed on both 
sides, and with the joints securely glued and screwed. 

The sides are twenty-six inches long and twelve inches 
high at the back. At the front they are but four inches 
high. A back-piece ten inches wide and twelve inches high 
is cut and fastened in place, and a front strip four inches 
high is also made fast with glue and long, slim screws. 

A division-board is placed in the middle of the box, as 
indicated by the line of screw-heads, and a bottom, ten by 
twenty-four inches, is held in place with screws passed 
through the lower edge of the front, back, and sides, and 
into the edges of the bottom. 

A lid the width of the box is hinged to a cross-strip over 
the partition. A handle at the lower end will make it easy 
to lift the lid. Blocks with the corners rounded off will 
serve as feet, one at each corner. 

Thin stain and two coats of varnish will finish the wood¬ 
work on the outside. A coat or two of asphaltum varnish 
will be better for the inside. 

Sticks of wood for the open fire or kindling for the grate 
fire may be kept in the square receptacle, while under the 
lid at least two bucketfuls of coal may be stowed away. 
If the fuel-holder is used only at the open fire, logs may be 
stood on end in the square box, and kindling may be kept 
in the covered half. 

A Flat-iron Holder 

A rack of shelves to hold flat-irons may be made of white- 
wood or pine seven-eighths of an inch thick, the several 

33 


3 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


pieces being securely fastened together with screws. Two 
side-plates are cut four inches wide and thirty inches long. 
The tops are bevelled and the bottom of each piece is curved, 
as shown in Fig. 47. 

The shelves are two inches wide and eighteen inches long. 
They are spaced eight inches apart, having the front edge 
flush with the edge of the side-plates, and leaving a space 



34 































































CARPENTRY 


two inches wide from the rear edge to the wall. Wall- 
plates two inches wide are let into the rear edge of the side- 
plates two inches above the shelves. Against these the 
bottom of the irons will rest. 

A top and a bottom board, cut as shown in the illustration, 
are to be attached to the wall-plates, and the complete rack 
of shelves should be fastened to the kitchen or laundry wall 
with stout screws set firmly into the studding. 

Two coats of olive-green or brown paint will finish this 
holder nicely, or it may be painted any color to match the 
wood-work in the kitchen or laundry. 


An Umbrella-stand 

An umbrella-stand does not occupy much space, and it is 
a convenient receptacle for umbrellas, canes, ball-bats, and 
golf-clubs (Fig. 48). 

To make one it will require four pieces of clear pine or 
white-wood thirty inches long, ten inches wide, and half an 
inch in thickness. There is also a bottom board nine and a 
half inches square and seven-eighths of an inch thick, to which 
the lower ends of the boards are to be screwed fast. A high, 
narrow box is to be formed of the boards, one side of each 
board being attached to the edge of the next one, as the 
illustration shows. Shellac or varnish will give the wood¬ 
work a pleasing finish, especially if it is white-wood, cypress, 
or spruce. 

A design may be worked out on one side with large oval¬ 
headed hob-nails painted black. These may be purchased 
at a shoemakers for a few cents a paper. The design should 

35 


I 




INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


first be drawn on thin brown paper and held on the wood 
with pins. The nails are driven along the lines of the 
ornament, but before they are hammered home, the paper 
should be torn away so that none of it is caught under the 
nail-heads. 

A zinc tray six inches high, and made to fit in the bot¬ 
tom of the box, will hold the drippings from wet umbrellas. 
Rings soldered at the top edge of the tray will permit it to be 
removed for cleaning. 


A Plant-box 

For growing plants and flowers that always look well 
around a piazza rail, the plant-box shown in Fig. 49 will 
be found useful. One or more boxes may be made from 
pine boards an inch thick and eight inches wide. The boxes 
should be six inches deep, outside measure, and they may 
be as long as desired to fill the spaces between the piazza 
posts. 

Straight or box joints are made at the corners and fas¬ 
tened with screws. The inside of the boxes should be treated 
to several successive coats of asphaltum varnish to render 
them water-proof. Several small holes must be bored in the 
bottom of each box to drain off surplus moisture, and the 
boxes and supports may be painted a color to match the 
trimmings of the house. 

To anchor the boxes, screw a batten to the balustrade, on 
which the inner edge of the box may rest. The outer edge 
is supported by means of braces attached firmly to the 
underside of the box and to the piazza floor, as shown in 

36 









CARPENTRY 


the illustration. Two small brackets attached to the under¬ 
side of the box and to the batten will hold the box in place 
and prevent it from slipping off the top of the batten. 


A Final Word 

The few objects shown and described in this chapter are, 
of course, but a small part of the things a wide-awake boy 
will think of and wish to make. The principles involved 
in these examples, however, will apply to scores of other 
things that may be constructed. Once these simpler forms 
of workmanship are mastered the young craftsman will go 
forward naturally to the higher exercise of his art. Car¬ 
pentry is a fascinating occupation, and it is well worth 
while, since its results are of practical use and value. 





Chapter II 


WOOD-CARVING 

A KNOWLEDGE of drawing and modelling will be 
most helpful to the young carver, as then the out¬ 
line of ornament can be readily drawn, while to carve 
objects from wood the art of modelling form is most 
desirable. 

If the beginner possesses a knowledge of form acquired 
by drawing and modelling, the art of wood-carving may 
be readily and quickly mastered; but even if these ad¬ 
vantages should be lacking, it is possible that considerable 
progress can be made by those who will follow the instruc¬ 
tions given on these pages. 

The most important feature of carving is the ability to 
sharpen and maintain the little tools, and when this is mas¬ 
tered, more than half the difficulty has been overcome. 
The dexterity to handle, with a firm and sure hand, the 
various chisels and gouges comes, of course, with practice 
only. 

It is better to begin with a soft wood. Pine, poplar, 
button-wood, cypress, or red woods are all of close grain 
and are easy to work. The harder woods, and those with 
a very open grain—such as chestnut, ash, and oak—should 

3 * 


WOOD-CARVING 


not be carved until the first principles are learned in the 
softer woods. 

Carving takes time, and it is not an art that can be quick¬ 
ly mastered, unless it be the chip - and - line variety. But 
this last can hardly be compared to the more beautiful re¬ 
lief-carving, with its well-modelled form and undercutting. 

A boy may learn the first principles of carving, using only 
his small, flat carpenter’s chisels and gouges; but for more 
advanced work he will need the regular carving-chisels. 
These latter are sharpened on both sides, while the car¬ 
penter’s chisels are ground on one side only. Neverthe¬ 
less, some very good work has been done by boys who had 
nothing better than a small gouge, a flat chisel, and a pen¬ 
knife. The true artist can work in any material and with 
the most indifferent of implements. 


Tools 

At the start a numerous assortment of tools will not be 
necessary, as the flat work and chip-carving will naturally 
be the first department of the art to be taken up by the 
young carver. 

Six or eight chisels constitute a good set, and those shown 
from Fig. i to 6 will answer very well. Fig. i is a plain, 
flat chisel with a straight edge, as shown at A; it is com¬ 
monly called a firmer. Fig. 2 is also a flat tool, but pos¬ 
sessing an angle or oblique edge; it is commonly called a 
skew-firmer. Figs. 3 and 4 are gouges. Fig. 5 is a V 
gouge, and Fig. 6 is a grounder. G, H, I, J, and K are 
gouges of various circles. L is an angle, or V, gouge. M, N, 

39 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



and O are gouges of various curves, and P, Q, and R are 
V gouges of various widths and angles. These last are used 
for furrows, chip-carving, and lining. 

A flat felt or denim case should be made for the tools, so 

40 
































































































WOOD-CARVING 


that they may be kept in good order. It is made of two 
strips of the goods, one wider than the other. Two edges 
are brought together and sewed, and lines of stitching form 
pockets for the chisels. The flap left by the wider strip of 
goods is folded over the chisel ends, and the pockets con¬ 
taining the tools may be rolled up and tied with tape-strings. 
When opened it will appear as shown in Fig. 7. The edges 
of chisels kept in this manner are insured against injury 
and rust, since the case protects them from atmospheric 
moisture. 

The stones needed for sharpening the tools will be an 
ordinary flat oil-stone (preferably a fine-grained India 
stone), and two or three Turkey or Arkansas slips, four or 
five inches long, having the shapes shown in Fig. 8. A, 
with the rounded edges, is for the gouge tools; B, with the 
sharp edges, is for V-shaped tools; and any of the flat chisels 
may be sharpened on the regular oil-stone, C. 

In Fig. 9 end views of some slips are shown. A and B 
are round-edged slips for gouge-chisels; C and D are angle 
stones for V chisels; while small, flat tools may be finished 
on the sides. These stones are held in the hand, and lightly 
but firmly rubbed against both surfaces of a tool to give it 
the fine cutting edge. 

In Fig. 10 an oil-stone in a case is shown. A boxed 
cover fits over it and protects it from grit and dust. This 
is important, for often a little gritty dust will do more harm 
to the edge of a fine tool than the stone can do it good. 

The other tools necessary to complete the kit will be sev¬ 
eral clamps, similar to those shown in Figs. 11 and 12, and 
a fret-saw (Fig. 13). If you happen to possess a bracket- 

41 





__INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

machine or jig-saw the fret-saw will not be necessary. A 
glue-pot will also be found useful. 

The first essential to good, clean cutting is that the tools 
shall be absolutely sharp and in a workman-like condition. 



It is often the case that an, amateur’s tools are in such a 
state that no professional carver could produce satisfactory 
results with them. And yet the variety of carving tools is 

42 































































































WOOD-CARVING 


so limited that if the difficulties of sharpening a firmer and 
gouge are mastered the task is practically ended. 

If the tools should be unusually dull they must first be 
ground on a grindstone, and as carvers’ tools are sharpened 
on both sides, they must be ground on both sides. The 
firmers may be sharpened on the oil-stone laid flat on the 
bench, but the gouges must be held in the hand, in order 
to sharpen the inside curve with a slip. The outer curve 
can be sharpened on the flat oil-stone, or held in the hand 
and dressed with the flat side of a slip. Great care must 
be taken to give the tools a finished and smooth edge. 
When they have reached the proper degree of sharpness 
it will be an easy matter to cut across the grain of white 
pine, leaving a furrow that is entirely smooth and almost 
polished. 

In the use of the oil-stone and slips, neat’s-foot oil, or a 
good, thin machine oil, should be employed. Astral oil is 
too thin, but the oil sold in small bottles for sewing-ma¬ 
chines or bicycles will answer every purpose. Water should 
not be used, as it would spoil the stones, and not produce 
the sharp edge on the tools. 

The finest stones are the best for use, and although they 
take longer to give the keen edge required, they will be 
found the most satisfactory in the end. Avoid grit and 
dust on the stones, and before using them they should be 
wiped off with an oiled rag. The beginner must not con¬ 
sider any pains too great to make himself thorough master 
of the tools, and to keep a perfect edge on all of them. 

The tools being in proper condition, the next step is to 
acquire a knowledge of the best methods of handling them. 

43 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


It will require some time and practice to become thor¬ 
oughly familiar with the manner in which tools are used, 
and, if it is possible, it would be well to watch some carver 
at work. 

The chisels should always be held with one hand on the 
handle, with two fingers of the other hand near the edge 
of the tool. This is to give sufficient pressure at the end 
to keep it down to the wood, while the hand on the handle 
gives the necessary push to make the tool cut. 


A Carver's Bench 

A carver’s bench is a necessity for the young craftsman, 
but if it is not possible to get one, a heavy, wooden-top 
kitchen table will answer almost as well. The proper kind 
of a bench gives greater facility for working, since it is 
more solid and the height is better than that of an ordinary 
table. Any boy who is handy with tools can make a bench 
in a short time of pine or white wood, the top being of hard¬ 
wood. If the joiner-work is not too difficult to carry out, it 
would be better to make the legs and braces of hard-wood 
also, to lend weight and solidity to the table. 

The wood should be free from knots and sappy places, 
and as heavy as it is possible to get it, so as to make a really 
substantial bench. The top should measure four feet long 
and thirty inches wide, and not less than one inch and a 
half in thickness. The framework must be well made, and 
the corner-posts and braces securely fastened with lap- 
joints, glue, and screws. The top of the bench should be 
thirty-nine inches high, and to one side of the bench a car- 

44 








WOOD-CARVING 


penter’s vise may be attached, as shown in Fig. 14. The 
jaw of the vise is seven inches wide, one and an eighth inches 
thick, and thirty-four inches long. It is hung as described 



for the carpenter’s bench (see Carpentry, Chapter I.). A 
wood or steel screw may be purchased at a hardware store, 
and set near the top and into the solid apron side-rail. 
The posts are four inches thick, and the cross-pieces and 
rails should be of seven-eighth-inch hard-wood four inches 
wide. The top overhangs the framework two inches all 
around, thus forming a ledge, to which the plates of wood 
or panels may be bound with the clamps and bench-screws. 
Where a clamp cannot be used, a cleat, as shown in Fig. 11, 
is screwed fast to the top of the table, and the projecting 
ear catches the edge of the wood and holds it securely. 

45 
































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


A coat of varnish or paint on the legs and braces will 
finish this bench nicely, and it will then be ready for the 
young workman’s use. 


Chip-carving 

To begin with, it is best to work on a simple pattern that 
can be followed easily. 

Get a piece of yellow pine, white-wood, or cypress seven- 
eighths of an inch thick, six inches wide, and twelve inches 
long. On a piece of smooth paper draw one-half of a pat¬ 
tern similar to the one shown in Fig. 15 A; or you may use 
any other simple design that is free in line and open in the 



Fig. 15 A 


ornament. Upon the wood lay a sheet of transfer-paper, 
with the black surface down, and on top of the transfer- 
sheet the paper bearing the design. Go over all the lines 
with a hard lead-pencil, bearing down firmly on the point, 

46 






















WOOD-CARVING 


so that the lines will be transferred to the wood. Turn the 
design around and repeat the drawing, so that the wood 
will bear the complete pattern. Clamp the wood to one 
side or corner of the bench with three or four clamps. Do 
not screw the clamps directly on the wood, but place be¬ 
tween the jaw and the wood a piece of heavy card-board, 
or another piece of thin wood, to prevent the clamps from 
bruising the surface of the panel. 

First, with a small V, or gouge-chisel, cut the lines; after 
that the leaves, using a flat, or spade, chisel. Two curved 
incisions will shape out the leaf, and the angle through the 
centre describes the main vein. The chipping may be shal¬ 
low or deep, as a matter of choice, but more effect may be 
had by cutting fairly deep. 

The finished result will appear as shown in the illustra¬ 
tion of the chip-carved panel (Fig. 15 B). For light orna¬ 
menting or drawer-panels, fancy boxes, and picture-frames, 



Fig. 15 B 

47 





INDOOR BOOK FO R BOY S__ 

this form of carving may be made both pleasing and effect¬ 
ive. Moreover, its mastery leads naturally to the more ar¬ 
tistic relief-carving. 

A Frame for a Small Clock 

Get one of the little nickel-plated clocks (sold at sixty 
cents and upwards). Lay it down on a smooth piece of 
soft wood—pine or cedar—about seven by eight inches. 




Mark around it closely with a lead-pencil, and cut out the 
circular opening with your knife. If you happen to have 
a fret-saw or suitable tools, you can make it of hard-wood. 
Smooth nicely with sand-paper. The clock must fit closely 
into the opening. You will find Fig. 16 very easy to do. 
Cut out the lines, being careful not to let the tool slip 

48 












WOOD-CARVING 


when cutting with the grain. Dilute the walnut stain 
with turpentine, and paint the design inside the lines; the 
grooves prevent the color spreading. Let it dry. The 
next day, with a wad of cotton or piece of canton flannel, 
rub on some varnish. Soft wood absorbs it very rapidly 
at first until the pores are filled. When quite dry, sand¬ 
paper nicely. Then rub again with varnish, a little at a 
time. Keep raw linseed-oil near you in a cup; dip one 
finger of your left hand in this when the work becomes 
sticky, and apply to the pad; it helps to spread the var¬ 
nish. Rub briskly with a circular motion. The varnish 
will dry quickly, when it must have a final polish; this 
brings out the beauty of the grain. If carefully done, 
your work will resemble inlaying. 


Some Other Designs 

The daisy design (Fig. 17) is charming when finished, 
and has the additional merit of being easy. Cut the daisy 
form from a visiting-card, and mark around it. Stain the 
centre much darker than the petals. 

Table-tops, jewel-boxes, calendar frames, chairs, etc., 
may be purchased already polished, and outlined in some 
dainty pattern. A finer tool (No. 11, g 1 *) comes for this 
kind of work. Of course it cannot be stained, but if de¬ 
sired the background may be stamped with a star-pointed 
“marker” to give the design prominence. 

These patterns may be adapted for the decoration of 
glove-boxes, bread - plates, knife-boxes, stools, blotting- 
books, card-cases, match-boxes, music-portfolios, and many 

49 


4 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


other things, which will sell well at fancy fairs, or be highly 
appreciated as presents. 

Relief-carving 

Relief - carving differs from the chip work in that the 
ornament is raised instead of being cut in. Solid relief- 
carving, such as appears on panels, box-covers, and furni¬ 
ture, is produced either by cutting the background away 
or by carving the ornament separately and then gluing it 
onto the surface of the article to be decorated. Of course, 
this latter process is only a makeshift, and the first method 
is the really artistic one. 

It is best to begin with something simple and then go on 
to the more complicated forms of ornamental work. A 
neat pattern for a long panel is shown in Fig. 18 A. This 
panel is twelve inches long and four and a half inches wide. 

On a smooth piece of paper draw one-half of the design 
and transfer it to the wood, as described for the chip-carved 
panel. Clamp the wood to a corner of the bench and, with 



Fig. 18 A 

5 ° 








_WOOD-CARVING_ 

a small wooden mallet and both firmer and gouge-chisels, 
cut down on the lines and into the face of the wood. Then, 
with the gouges and grounding-tool, cut away the back¬ 
ground to a depth of one-eighth of an inch or more, until a 
result is obtained similar to that shown in Fig. 18 B. The 
entire design and edge of the panel will then be in relief, 
but its surface will be flat and consequently devoid of ar¬ 
tistic feeling. With the flat and extra flat gouge-chisels be¬ 
gin to carve some life into the ornament. A little practice 



Fig. 18 B 

will soon enable the young craftsman to observe which parts 
should be high and which should be low. The intermediate 
surfaces should be left neutral, or between high and low 
relief. This finishing process depends for its effect upon 
the good taste and feeling of the craftsman; it is the quality 
that gives artistic beauty and meaning to the work. The 
panel, when completed, should have the appearance shown 
in Fig. 18 C. 

As already stated, the general effect of relief-carving may 
be also obtained through the “applied” method, a simpler 

5i 



















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

and less tedious process, but neither so artistic nor so sub¬ 
stantial. 

The design is transferred to a thin piece of wood and cut 



Fig. 18 C 


out with a fret or jig saw. Fig. 19 A shows a suitable pat¬ 
tern for this class of work. The pieces are then glued in 
position on a thick piece of wood, and the “feeling” carved 



Fig. 19 A 


in after the fashion already indicated. This “applied” 
carving may be used on the panels of small drawers, cabi¬ 
nets, and boxes of various sizes and shapes. The inventive 

5 2 











WOOD-CARVING 



Fig. 19 B 


boy will be able to design patterns for himself, or they may 
be cheaply bought. Fig. 19 B shows the effect of the fin¬ 
ished work. 

Mouldings 

In Fig. 20 some designs are given for carved mouldings, 
and at the side, end views are shown. 

Plain mouldings of various shapes may also be bought at 
a mill, or from a carpenter, and may be given “life” with 
a little care and work. Both hard and soft wood mould¬ 
ings are available, but at first the softer woods will be found 
the easier to work. 

A plain corner on a wooden picture-frame may be built 
up with blocks of wood glued on as shown in Fig. 21 A. 
When carved this piece will have the appearance of the 
finished corner shown in Fig. 21 B. The arms of chairs, 
corners of furniture, and the like may be treated in this 
same manner. 

When flat and relief carving have been mastered, it would 
be well to attempt something in figure and free-hand work, 
such as animals, fruit, or heads. But it will take a good 

53 













INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


deal of practice on the simple and conventional forms be¬ 
fore the amateur will feel himself competent for the more 
advanced art. As improvement in the flat work is noticed, 
the ornament may be “undercut” to give it richness and 
boldness. 

To finish wood in any desired color, stains may be pur- 








Fig. 20 

54 





























































WOOD-CARVING 


chased at a paint or hardware shop. Over the stained sur¬ 
face, when dry, several thin coats of hard-oil finish or furni¬ 
ture varnish should be applied. The back and edges of a 
carved panel must always be painted to protect them from 
moisture and dampness; warping and splitting are thereby 



% 

avoided. Some pieces of carving need only a coating of 
raw linseed-oil, while others may be treated to a wax finish 
composed of beeswax cut in turpentine, rubbed in with a 
cloth, and polished off. Another method of darkening oak 
(before it is varnished) is to expose it to the fumes of am¬ 
monia, or to paint on liquid ammonia, with a brush, until 
the desired antique shade is obtained. The staining proc¬ 
ess, however, is preferable. 






































Chapter III 


FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING 

N EARLY every boy has had, at one time or another, 
a desire to make scroll-brackets, fretwork-boxes, and 
filigree wood-work of various sorts. The art is naturally 
affiliated with other decorative processes in wood-working, 
such as wood-turning, carving, and marquetry, or the art 
of inlaying woods. Both fretwork and wood-turning are 
very old crafts, and were practised by the ancient Egyp¬ 
tians, specimens of their work being still extant. 

A great deal of amusement and pleasure may be had in 
the possession of a scroll-saw, or “bracket machine,” as 
it was commonly known among boys some years ago. 
And first, as to the implements required. 

The Tools 

To those who can go to the dealer and pay for just what 
their fancy dictates, there is no trouble to procure all the 
tools that may be needed for the finest work; but others 
who cannot afford this luxury may get along nicely with a 
very small outlay. In fact, in nearly every instance known 
to the writer where the amateur has really rigged up his 

56 


FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING 


own machine, he has become master of the art sooner. A 
number of years ago the writer, then a school-boy, trans¬ 
formed an old sewing-machine table into a scroll-saw and 
lathe, and to-day this homely old stand and crudely put 
together machine does as good work, with as little effort, as 
the finest and most expensive outfit. This machine, all 
complete, with the drilling attachment, cost: old machine, 
one dollar; dozen saws, assorted, twenty-five cents; new 
material, rivets, etc., sixty-five cents; drills (still in use), 
fifteen cents; total, two dollars and five cents. 

This money was saved from building fires and taking up 
ashes, and the first time the saw was run—one cold, stormy 
day in late November—there was cut up material which, 
when put together and sold (playmates and school-fellows 
being the customers), amounted to over three dollars in 
cash, besides a few pocket-knives, bits of rare wood, and the 
like that were taken in exchange. 

Making a fine scroll-saw from a sewing-machine is of it¬ 
self an easy matter. The balance-wheels should be re¬ 
tained, in order that all back lash can be easily overcome. 
The two arms holding the saw are to be geared from some 
wheel in the rear or connected with a belt. If the wrist- 
pin (the crank, or pitman wrist) gives too long a motion, 
it can be easily taken up by either drilling another hole 
nearer the centre or using a bent crank-pin. In any event 
the cut should not be over one inch. 

Another method of shortening the stroke (and a very 
good one if the means of making the other changes are not 
at hand) is by changing the bearing of the arm. The nearer 
the saw the shorter the stroke. The clamp-screws holding 

57 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


the saws should be adjustable, so that either a long or a 
short saw-blade may be used. Those who break their 
blades (and there are none who do not) will find great 
economy in using adjustable clamps, as the short pieces 
can be used for sawing thin stuff, veneers, and the like. 
The best kind of clamp is provided with a slit to receive the 
blade and a set-screw for tightening. 

The tools necessary for hand-sawing are very simple and 
inexpensive, consisting of a wooden saw-frame, one dollar; 
dozen saw-blades, twenty cents; one clamp-screw, twenty- 
five cents; drill and stock, fifty cents; total, one dollar 
and ninety-five cents. 

In selecting saw-blades be careful to buy only those with 
sharp and regular-cut teeth. Saws are graded by number 
for hand-sawing. Numbers o and i are the best sizes, un¬ 
less for very delicate work, when finer ones should be used. 
The larger blades have coarse teeth, which are liable to 
catch in the work and tear it. Since, at the best, the mo¬ 
tion of the hand-saw is jerky, not nearly so nice work can 
be done as with the treadle-saw, which has an even, steady 
gait. 

For all open-work it is necessary to have something to 
punch holes, so that a start may be made on the inside. 
Many use an ordinary brad-awl, but this is liable to split 
the wood. Besides, it is not possible to punch a hole so 
smooth and nice as it can be drilled or bored; hence, a drill 
is included in the list, and it will be found a very handy 
tool for either hand or treadle saws. The most serviceable 
article of this kind is the small German drill-stock, that 
can be bought with six drill-points, assorted sizes, for fifty 

58 










_F RETWORK AND WOO D-TURNING_ 

cents, or the small hand-drills, with side wheel and handle, 
and provided with a small chuck to clutch the drill. 

From what I have .said, it should not be inferred that 
any objections are made to any of the beautiful little ma¬ 
chines now to be bought at moderate cost. By all means, 
when the expense can be afforded, these should be used. 
The good ones will do the most delicate work, can be run 
with great ease, and will cut from eight to twenty pieces 
at a time, according to the thickness of the wood, leaving 
the edges of the work perfectly smooth. In using treadle- 
machines, insert the saw-blades with the teeth pointing 
downward and towards the front of the machine, and guide 
the wood easily with the fingers, with the wrists, resting 
firmly on the table, being careful not to feed too fast or 
crowd against the saw sideways. Otherwise the blades will 
be heated and broken, and they will wear away the little 
wooden button set at the centre of the plate to prevent the 
saw from touching the metal work-table. 


The Practice of the Art 

Most boys know how to run a scroll-saw, or think they 
do, yet a few practical hints should not come amiss. 

To begin with, the machine should be well oiled, all 
nuts, screws, and bolts turned up tight, and the belts ad¬ 
justed at sufficient tension to run at a high rate of speed 
without slipping. Many machines, even in large mills, are 
groaning and filing out their journals and bearings simply 
because the belts are too tight. One of the first principles 
to be mastered in applied mechanics is that of power trans- 

59 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


mission, and right here the young workman has the best of 
opportunities to solve, in a measure, a great mechanical 
problem—namely, a belt tight enough to drive the machine 
and do the work, and loose enough to run easy and cause 
no unnecessary friction or wear on the journals and boxings. 

For your first practice take some cigar-box wood (of 
which a good stock should be kept), and trace upon the dark 
sides a series of angles and curved lines. Never, under any 
circumstances, begin sawing without a tracing, or a pat¬ 
tern of some kind, to saw to, for now is the time to cultivate 
habits of accuracy. With no design or objective-point, 
nothing but a bit of useless board will result; besides, you 
will form a habit of working without a guide, a habit that 
has made more poor artisans than the love of idleness and 
bad company. Lay the wood on the rest, or plate, and 
see that it lies solidly. If it shakes, the wood is uneven 
and should be straightened, for no one can saw a warped 
board and make accurate work; besides, it is impossible 
to work in such wood without breaking the saws. The 
wood being level, hold it down with the left hand, fasten 
securely a No. i blade in the frame, and begin sawing, being 
careful to keep the motion very high and feeding slowly, 
sawing out the tracing lines, or keeping close to one side of 
them. If an ordinary hand-frame is used, work it firmly 
in one direction, keeping the blade perpendicular, and turn¬ 
ing the wood so that the saw may follow the pattern. 

After you have thoroughly learned the motion of the 
machine, the cutting of the saw, feeding, etc., try sawing 
a straight line, being careful not to push or crowd the blade 
sideways, as this will not only make the lines crooked, but 

60 







FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING 


will heat and ruin the blades, if it does not break them. 
When you have become an adept in following a straight 
line, and cutting the lines of a curve accurately, mark out 
several Vs and squares. To saw a V begin at the upper 
end and saw down to the point; now back the saw out, and 
saw from the other end down to the same point. If the 
line is carefully followed, this will insure a sharp, clean- 
cut angle. To cut out a square hole, saw down to the angle, 
then work the blade up and down in one place rapidly 
until it becomes loose; then turn the wood at right angles 
and saw carefully along the line to the other corner, when 
the operation may be repeated. Just as soon as you can 
saw straight and curved lines true to tracings, it is safe to 
begin good work with little if any fear of spoiling lumber or 
breaking an undue number of saws. 


The Preparation of the Work 

One of the simplest objects for a beginner to try his skill 
upon is a wall-bracket such as shown in Fig. i. A piece of 
cedar—the bottom and lid of a cigar-box will answer the 
purpose excellently—from seven to eight inches in length 
by six and a half in width is a convenient size. The shelf 
is a semicircular piece either plain or scalloped in front, and 
its support must be of light, open, but strong design to 
match one-half of the lower design to the wall-plate. Hinges 
are sometimes placed to all parts in order to make it easy 
to pack the bracket. But such additions can only be made 
by the expert craftsman. 

The first thing to be done is to trace the design on a thin 

61 







_ INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

piece of paper after it has been drawn roughly on a smooth 
sheet of brown paper. When the tracing is complete, lay 
it face downward, and cover it with powdered red chalk. 
The tracing is then imposed on the wood, with the red side 
downward. With a blunt bodkin or lead-pencil we now 
draw firmly along the lines, thus reproducing the tracing 
on the surface of the wood. Having accomplished this, we 
remove the paper, and with pen and ink make a complete 
drawing of the outlined design on the wood. 

In designing fretwork great care must be taken to get 
the two sides of the pattern alike and in correct drawing. 
This can best be done by drawing the design on tracing- 
paper, and doubling it over when, with a little extra press¬ 
ure of the pencil, a good design can be obtained on both 
sides of the paper. 

When this has been accomplished pierce the wood at 
various points with a drill. The holes thus made are to 
allow the saw to enter. The wood may now be put in the 
clamp. Then with a moderately strong saw the young be¬ 
ginner can make his first attempt. The frame must be 
held perfectly straight and the arm worked steadily up 
and down. 

Turning the saw is always a difficult point with ama¬ 
teurs, but in reality there is but little in the operation that 
cannot be mastered with a few moments’ practice. The 
secret of turning neatly and without damaging either saw 
or wood is to work very steadily up and down, but not for¬ 
ward, when the turning-point has been reached. Then by 
a sharp and active movement of the wrist and wood the 
saw should be turned, but not jerked, and the new line 

62 











FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING 


commenced. Sometimes, however, the delicacy of the pat¬ 
tern makes this impossible. The saw should then be pulled 
backward and forward gently until a sufficiently large hole 
has been made. 

It is impossible, within the limits of this chapter, to give 
designs for any considerable number of the articles that can 
be made in fretwork; but with the descriptions just given, 
and the few accompanying patterns, a boy who has any 
idea of drawing and designing can put parts of an ornament 
together and so work out new and attractive variations. 


A Match-safe 


The design for a match-safe is shown in Fig. 2, the wall- 
plate measuring two inches and a half in width and seven 
inches high. One side of the pattern should first be drawn 



in free-hand, then traced and transferred to the thin wood 
and the lines gone over with a sharp-pointed, hard pencil, 
so that it will be an easy matter to see them when sawing. 

63 





































































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


The front plate of the match-safe is shown at B and one 
end at C. The front is two and a half inches long and one 
inch wide, and the ends are made in proportion, or about 
seven-eighths of an inch wide. These parts are put to¬ 
gether with slim steel nails and glue, having first drilled 
the holes where the nails are to be driven to prevent them 
from splitting the wood. 

Most of the modern scroll-sawing machines have mov¬ 
able beds, so that bevel cuts can be made. This is done by 
tilting the bed or table slightly, as shown in Fig. 3. As a 
result the work will have a narrower face than the back, as 
shown at the right side of the bracket in Fig. 1. However, 
in making the front, or bracket part, there should not be 
any bevel - cutting, since it would look one-sided. Keep 
the bed flat in that case, and make the regular cuts for 
straight work. 

A Wall-bracket 

The simple bracket shown in Fig. 1 is an easy one to 
draw, and it may be cut from holly, birch, oak, or any good 
wood about one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The bracket 
or front-piece is half the back-plate, omitting the top orna¬ 
ment. The shelf (A) may be rounded, scalloped, or cut 
serpentine, as indicated by the dotted lines, and the three 
parts are put together with fine nails, or screws, and glue. 

A Fretwork-box 

For a glove or necktie box an attractive design is shown 
in Fig. 4, A being the top and B the front or back. The 
ends should be made a proportionate size, and a part of the 

64 








A GLOVE-BOX AND A T BRACKET 




































































































































































































































































































































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


traced ornament can be transferred to them, so as to match 
the other parts. 

A good size to make this box will be ten inches long, five 
inches wide, and three inches deep. This should be the 
size of the main rib or rectangle in the top, and out from it 
the scallops project three-quarters of an inch all around. 

Lay out one-quarter of the cover design on a piece of 
smooth paper; then make a tracing of it. With a piece of 
transfer-paper this quarter should be gone over with a blunt 
lead-pencil, so that the lines will be transferred to the wood. 
Take care when making a transfer to see that the quarter 
has been accurately placed on the wood so that a perfect 
rectangle will be had. 

Put this box together with glue and small, slim nails, 
and arrange a bottom of thin wood to fit where the lower 
cross-rib of the sides is shown. If the saw leaves ragged 
edges at the reverse side of the wood, they may be cleaned 
off with fine sand-paper or a small file. 

Some Other Designs 

Another design for a bracket is illustrated in Fig. 5; and 
in Fig. 6 a T is shown that may be used for a bracket or a 
wall-hanger, along the top edge of which small hooks may 
be arranged to hold a shoe-horn, button-hooks, scissors, 
and other small bedroom accessories. 

Wood-turning 

The common examples of wood-turning with which a boy 
is most familiar are tops, balls, bats, dumb-bells, Indian 

66 






FRETWORK AND WOOD-TURNING 


clubs, broom-handles, and spools. All of these objects are 
made in a lathe, and this is the self-same machine that has 
been in use for centuries, with but few modifications. Like 
the potter’s wheel, it is simplicity itself and needs no im¬ 
provement. 

The object of a lathe is to cause a piece of wood or other 
material to revolve from end to end, so that when a chisel 
or other sharp-edged tool is held against the moving sur¬ 
face it will cut away that part of the material at which the 
tool is directed. 

The boy who lives near a wood-working establishment, 
or mill, can gain more knowledge in watching a wood-turner 
at work for half an hour than he can learn from reading a 
book on the subject for many days. It is a simple craft, 
but a firm hand and a true cut are the important factors 
in making a boy a master of the lathe. 

Once the knowledge is gained, however, it is an easy 
matter to turn all sorts of objects. 

A simple lathe may be made from a small table, a grind¬ 
stone, a trunk-strap, and several small parts that are easily 
gotten together. Read how in his boyhood days the author 
constructed a small lathe. 

Between the legs of a table two bars were nailed across 
for supports to the shaft, which was made of oak and meas¬ 
ured three feet long and one inch square. This just fitted 
the hole in a grindstone that was used for the balance- 
wheel. Six inches from the ends of the shaft the corners 
were cut away to form bearings on the cross-bars, which 
were hollowed out to receive it. A leather strap was nailed 
over to keep it in position. The grindstone was next placed 

67 




INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

on the shaft, near one end, between the bearings, and wedged. 
Over it two brackets, four inches high, were screwed in posi¬ 
tion on the table top, six inches apart, forming a support 
for a shaft of a small wheel or pulley made of wood. In 
the end of an ash shaft, one inch square and eight inches 
long, were three sharp points made by driving in nails with- . 
out heads, the projecting ends being filed to points; these, 
forced against the block, held one end firmly enough to 
turn. The places where the bearings came were cut in the 
form of a cylinder three-quarters of an inch in diameter, 
and corresponding places were hollowed in the supports 
(as shown at Fig. 8) to receive it, a small piece of wood being 
screwed on over each, after the shaft and wheel were put in 
position. 

A belt was made of an old trunk-strap, passed round the 
grindstone and through two holes in the table over the lit¬ 
tle wheel, causing the latter to revolve very rapidly when 
the former was turned. This was done by a treadle put 
in the following manner: Two cranks were made (A in Fig. 

7) by a blacksmith and attached to the ends of the long 
shaft. They were three inches long and had a knob on 
the end of the handle to prevent the connecting-rods from 
slipping off. The latter were of hard-wood, with a half- 
inch hole bored through near one end. They were then 
split six inches, allowing them to be placed on the handles. 

A screw was then put in to secure them, the lower ends 
being connected with a treadle made as in Fig. 7. 

The second spindle at first was made immovable by in¬ 
serting a piece of quarter-inch wire in a wooden bracket, 
which was screwed to the table; but finding it not always 

68 







FRETWORK AND WO O D-TU RNING 

convenient to use blocks of the same length, one was ar- 
ranged to slide; it could be secured in any position with 
thumb-screws. A long cut a quarter of an inch wide was 
first sawed in the table in the line of the short shaft; then 



a bracket three inches high was screwed to a short strip 
two inches wide, one inch thick, and a foot long. A similar 
strip was placed beneath, through which two thumb-screws 
passed. A piece of wire, filed to a point and driven in 

69 












































































I NDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

the bracket, served for a centre. A movable block of 
wood three and a half inches high was used for a tool rest, 
which by means of two small bolts and thumb-screws was 
held fast to the table top. Slots cut in the table top made 
it possible to move this rest forward or backward, and the 
thumb-screws, or winged-nuts, as they are properly called, 
were tightened at the under side of the table, as shown at 
Fig. 9. 

A great deal of pleasure may be had at little or no cost 
with a lathe of this description. All sorts of small things 
may be turned, and when a boy has mastered the craft it 
would be well to add an iron lathe to his stock of tools, if 
the cost is at all within his means. 






Chapter IV 


PICTURE MOUNTING AND FRAMING 

HE modern idea in framing pictures is to have the 



1 frame harmonize with the subject, rather than to 
employ a stock moulding with set pattern made by the 
mile, and cut up into frames of all sizes and for all sorts 
of pictures. All the frames shown in the illustrations ac¬ 
companying this chapter were made at home, and from 
such simple materials as thin boards, burlap, tea-chest 
matting, denim, wire, sheet-lead, harness-rings, and brass¬ 
headed upholsterers’ tacks. 


A Dutch Head Mounting 


For the study of a Dutch head a unique frame, or mount¬ 
ing, is shown in Fig. i. This is a board of thin wood of a 
size in proportion to the photograph, the latter being nailed 
to the board with large, oval-headed tacks painted black. 

The board is covered with green denim, the edges of which 
are drawn over the back of the board and glued, or fastened 
with small tacks. The photograph, a platinum print, is 
trimmed to an oval, and then mounted on a white card. 
When the paste is dry the mount is also cut oval wise, fol- 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BO^S__ 

lowing the line of the photograph, and leaving a white mar¬ 
gin half an inch in width. The picture is placed on the 
board so that the side and top margins will be equal; it 



Fig. 1 Fig. 3 


is then fastened in place with upholsterers’ tacks driven 
three-quarters of an inch apart. 

These nails, as well as the other metal-work, are to be 
coated with a mixture of dry lampblack and shellac before 
they are driven on the board. The nails should be painted 
some time before they are to be used, so that the black 
coating will be thoroughly dry. After the nails are driven 

7 2 


























PICTURE MOUNTING AND FRAMING 


in place it may be necessary to go over them with a small 
brush and some of the black paint, to touch up places where 
the coating has chipped off. 

The ornament below the picture and the hanger-straps 
are cut from sheet-lead about one-sixteenth of an inch in 
thickness. The stems are of ordinary iron wire, such as 
may be purchased at a hardware store for a few cents. 
Each piece of the design is separate, and may be easily 
cut from soft lead with an old pair of shears, and afterwards 
trimmed with a pocket-knife or a small file. 

Drawings of the metal parts to this frame are shown in 
Fig. 2. A is the strap at the top, where the hanger is at¬ 
tached; B, the scrolls forming the hanger; C, one of the 
buds at the top of the stem of wire; D, the flower at the 
middle of the frame under the picture; E, one of the long 
leaves; and F, a shorter curved one. These are all painted 
black before they are applied to the board; then they are 
caught with large and small nails, the large ones for effect, 
the small and invisible ones to securely attach the metal 
ornaments to the wood. 

Small staples made from pins with the heads cut off are 
used to hold the wire stems in place, but at the outer ends 
the wire is caught under the buds or flowers, where it is 
held in place with an upholsterer’s tack. 

The ornamental hangers are made from thin strips of 
stove-pipe iron one-quarter of an inch wide, and may be 
shaped with a small pair of pliers or bent with the fingers. 
(See Chapter V., Venetian and Florentine Metal-work.) 
The long upper part of the strap-pieces are bent over 
and caught at the back of the frame, and form a sta- 

73 







_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

pie, into which the lower loop of each hanger is made 
fast. 

If the large, oval-headed nails which hold the picture to 
the board cannot be had at your hardware store, imita¬ 
tion heads may be cut from lead, blackened, and fastened 
on with two or three fine steel-nails. 

A Dark Card Mounting 

The mounting shown in Fig. 3 is constructed along the 
same lines as that of Fig. 1, but the hangers are different, 
and the picture, having a white edge, is mounted on a dark 
card. The nails are then driven on the white band, in 
order to make them more conspicuous than they would be 
if fastened on the outer margin. 

A line may be drawn on a piece of smooth brown paper 
indicating the size of the frame, and another one to denote 
the location of the picture. The design should then be 
drawn on the paper with lead-pencil, and the little flowers, 
buds, and leaves fitted to this plan. The wire may also be 
bent to conform to the lines of the drawing, so that it will 
be an easy matter to apply the accurately fitted parts to 
the frame, where they are fastened with small, oval-headed 
tacks. 

A strip of sheet-lead five inches long and one-half an 
inch wide is cut V-shaped at the bottom, and the top is 
bent over a two-inch harness-ring, then drawn down and 
fastened with a nail, to prevent it from releasing the ring. 
These hangers are fixed at the top, midway between the 
picture and the outer edge of the frame. Large-headed 

74 










PICTURE MOUNTING AND FRAMING 


wrought-iron bellows-nails are used on which to hang the 
picture; they are driven into the wall, and, when neces¬ 
sary, the picture may be removed from them by simply 
lifting the rings over the nail-heads. 

A Triple Mounting 

The long panel effect shown in Fig. 4 is a simple and 
pleasing mounting for small photographs, or colored prints. 



Fig. 4 

A board is covered with ordinary burlap, which is drawn 
over the surface and tacked at the back; apparently it 
is held in place by the large, oval-headed tacks driven 
all around the outer edge. A card-mount the size of the 

75 












INDOOR BOO K FO R BOYS _ 

photograph is cut away at the middle, leaving the outer 
edge about half or five-eighths of an inch in width. This 
is laid over the photograph, and through it the nails are 
driven which hold the photograph and the frame to the 
board. The scroll-hangers at the top and the nail-head 
decorations add to the artistic appearance of this frame. 


Plain Framing 

For etchings, water - colors, or colored photographs and 
aquarelles, where a wide mat is desirable, plain narrow 
frames should be used. These may be made from mould¬ 
ing with the rabbet cut in by machine, but the boy crafts¬ 
man may use flat rails and make his own rabbet. 

First cut the joints with a mitre-box and saw; then with 
glue and slim nails a good union is made, as shown at Fig. 
5, the dotted lines representing the long, slim nails. If a 
lap-point is preferred to a mitre, both ends of the flat rails 
should be cut away, as shown at Fig. 6, the union being 
made with glue and short screws driven in from the back 
of the frame, taking care, however, not to puncture or de¬ 
face the face of the frame. Where a rabbet is to be made 
at the back of a frame, the front inner edge should be bev¬ 
elled, as shown at A in Fig. 7, so that there will not be 
too great a thickness of wood close to the glass. A quarter 
of an inch out from the inner edge of the frame fasten 
four square sticks with glue and small nails. These sticks 
should be three-eighths of an inch square, and mitred at 
the corners, as shown at B in Fig. 7. The glass can then 
lie on the back of the frame within the space described by 

76 






PICTURE MOUNTING AND FRAMING 



the small sticks, and over it the picture and back-board 
are placed, the nails being driven in to hold them in place. 

A Sporting Mount 

For a picture in which horses are prominent, such as a 
race, a group of horses’ heads, or a driving scene, an appro¬ 
priate frame is suggested in Fig. 8. 

77 











































































































































IN D OOR BOO K F OR BOYS _ 

The frame proper is made from narrow strips of wood, 
the face of which is studded with oval-headed nails. This 
frame is then arranged on a large board, and at the corners 
blocks, or separators, are fastened, which will cause the 
frame to stand away from the large board for half an inch 
or so, in order that the stirrup-strap and the whip-handle 
may pass under it, as shown at A in Fig. 8. 

The frame is hung by means of large harness-rings caught 
at the top of the frame with leather straps. These are car¬ 
ried about the back-board and buckled at the front. The 
stirrup is suspended from the lower middle part of the 
frame on a strap, which is caught about the back-board 
and runs under the small front frame. 

Dark Flemish oak for the back-board, russet straps, and 
brass buckles will make a pleasing combination; and if the 
picture is a colored one, it will add greatly to the effect of 
the complete mounting. 

A Round-robin Mounting 

For one large head-picture and a number of small ones 
a novel scheme for mounting is shown at Fig. 9. 

This is a one-piece barrel-head covered with burlap or 
denim. The photographs are cut circular and mounted on 
heavy white or cream-colored card-mounts, then trimmed 
so that a margin half an inch wide will be left all around. 
These are to be applied to the barrel-head with oval-headed 
upholsterers’ nails, as suggested for Fig. 1 The hangers are 
made from thin strips of iron, and should be as long as half 
the diameter of the board. 


78 









Part II 


METAL-WORKING 




Chapter V 


VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 

I N Italy, many years ago, there originated the pretty 
household art of making small objects from metal strips 
bent into graceful curves and scrolls, and then banded to¬ 
gether. During the past few years American and English 
boys have taken up this Venetian and Florentine metal¬ 
work, and to-day the materials may be purchased at hard¬ 
ware stores in all the large cities. 

The tools required are a pair of flat and a pair of round¬ 
nosed pliers, or pincers, a pair of heavy shears, and a pair 
of wire-cutters; a small bench-vise will also be useful. 

The materials include a few sheets of thin stove-pipe iron 
of good quality (it may be purchased from a tinsmith), 
several yards of fine, soft iron wire, and some heavier wire 
for framework. 

From the sheets of iron narrow strips are to be cut with 
the shears, and for ordinary work they should be not more 
than three-sixteenths of an inch in width; for heavier or 
lighter work the width may be varied. If it is possible to 
obtain the prepared strips at a hardware store, it will be 
better than making them at home, since it is a tiresome task 
to cut many of the strips from sheet-iron. Soft, thin iron 

81 


6 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


that will bend easily is the only kind that is of use, as the 
hard or brittle iron breaks off and it is impossible to bend 
it into uniform or even scrolls. 

A little patience and perseverance will be necessary at 
first until the knack of forming scrolls has been mastered, 
but once learned it will then be an easy matter to make 
many pretty and useful objects. 

A Lamp-screen 

An attractive design for a lamp-screen is shown in Fig. 
i A. When completed and backed with some pretty ma¬ 
terial it will be found a useful little affair to hang against 
the shade of a lamp to shield one’s eyes from the direct rays 
of a bright light. 

To begin with, form a square of six inches, and at the 
top where the ends meet make a lap-joint by allowing one 
end to project over the other; then bind them together with 
some very fine wire—about the size that florists use. Inside 
of this square make a circle six inches in diameter, and wire 
it fast to the square where the sides, bottom, and top 
touch it. 

Bend four small circles, and fasten one in each of the four 
angular corners between the circle and square; then form 
the centre scrolls and the hoop in the middle of the screen. 

To form a scroll like that shown in Fig. i bend a strip 
of metal in the form of a U, as shown in Fig. 2, and with 
the round-nosed pair of pliers begin to curl one end in, as 
shown in Fig. 3. When it has been rolled far enough in 
to form one side of the scroll, it will appear as shown in 

82 






VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 


Fig. 4. By treating the other end in a similar manner the 
finished result will be a perfect scroll like Fig. 1. Four of 
these scrolls are to be made and banded to the circle and 



to each other, and in the centre the hoop must be made 
fast with little metal bands. 

When uniting or binding two strips of metal together 
they may be fastened with wire or bands, as a matter of 

83 

















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


choice. If the latter mode is employed, short pieces of the 
metal strips are to be cut and partially bent in the form 
of a clamp, as shown in Fig. 5. Bring the two sides to¬ 
gether and bend one ear of the clamp over them (Fig. 6), 
and if the other ear is the proper length, bend that down 
in place, and squeeze all together with the flat-nosed pair 
of pincers. The perfect joint will then appear as shown 
in Fig. 7. When using metal clamps the ears should be of 
such a length that, when pressed down over the united strips 
of metal, the ends will just come together and not overlap. 

Having made the body part of the screen, form the scrolls 
of the top, and bind them in place with wire or the little 
metal clamps. This top should measure some three inches 
high from the top rib of the screen, and the end scrolls 
should project about three-quarters of an inch beyond the 
body of the screen at either side. 

For the sides and bottom form a frill of metal and fasten 
it to the screen with wire; it should not be more than three- 
eighths or half an inch in width, and can be bent with the 
round-nosed pincers and the fingers. Better wear gloves 
for this part of the work. 

When the metal-work is finished it will be necessary to 
coat it with black paint to improve its appearance and pre¬ 
vent its rusting. There are several good paints that may 
be used for this purpose, but if they are not easy to obtain 
an excellent coating may be made by dissolving a little 
shellac in alcohol and adding dry lampblack so it will 
be about the consistency of cream. It should be applied 
to the metal with a soft brush, and if it should become too 
thick it may be thinned by adding alcohol. 

84 






VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 


Two thin coats will be all that are required for ordinary 
purposes, but if the metal-work is exposed to the weather, 
or any dampness that might cause it to rust, a coat of 
red lead should be applied next the iron. Red lead can 
be mixed with boiled linseed-oil to make a good metal 
paint. 

A backing of some pretty, light-colored silk is required 
to complete the screen, using one, two, or three thicknesses 
to properly shield the light. The backing should be at¬ 
tached to the grille, or framework, with black silk, and it 
may be cut to fit either the round or square portion of the 
framework. The stitches should be close together, to pre¬ 
vent the goods drawing away from the metal ribs. 


Pattern-making 

When constructing any piece of grille-work it is always 
best to have a full-sized drawing to work over. For ex¬ 
ample, it is a simple matter to lay out the plan for Fig. i A, 
and you may proceed as follows: Pin to a lap-board a 
smooth piece of heavy brown paper, and with a soft pencil 
draw a six-inch square. Inside this describe, with a com¬ 
pass, a six-inch circle; then draw the four corner circles, 
and divide the larger circle into quarters. In each of these 
quarters draw, in free-hand, the scroll shown in Fig. i A. 
The top is to be drawn in free-hand, but if it is difficult to 
get both sides alike you may first draw one side; then 
double the paper, and transfer the design by rubbing the 
back of the paper. It will then be found an easy matter 
to bend and fit the scrolls, since each member may be ac- 

85 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


curately shaped to conform to the lines, and afterwards 
banded together. 

A Standard Screen 

For a standard screen in the shape of a banner the de¬ 
sign shown in Fig. i A may be used, leaving off the top 
ornament, and suspending it from the upper end of a sup¬ 
ported stick with cord or wires, as shown in Fig. 8. 

The stick should be about eighteen inches high, and the 
scroll feet should stand seven inches and a half up from 
the bottom. At the widest part they should measure six 
inches across, and there should be four of these feet to con¬ 
stitute a stable base. At the top of the stick (which should 
be about one-quarter of an inch square) a scroll and a hook 
will serve to support the screen. In a library or sitting- 
room, where one large lamp is used to read by, one or two 
banner - screens will keep the strong light from the eyes 
and the heat from the head without cutting off the needed 
illumination from the book or work in hand. 

t 

A Candlestick 

The illustration shown in Fig. 9 gives a pleasing pattern 
for a small-based candlestick. 

To begin with, secure an old tin or brass candlestick 
and rip off the bottom, leaving only the sheath and collar 
at the top. Have a tinsmith cut the lower end away, leav¬ 
ing about two inches of the top, and solder a bottom in it. 
Cut a pine stick about four inches long and not more than 
three-sixteenths of an inch square, or the same thickness as 

86 











A STANDARD SCREEN AND A CANDLESTICK 































































_ INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

the width of the metal strips from which the scrolls are to 
be formed. Punch a small hole in the bottom of the socket, 
and drive a slim steel-wire nail down through it and into 
the middle of one end of the stick, so that the attached 
pieces will appear as shown in Fig. io. The socket will 
hold a candle, and the stick will act as a centre staff against 
which the four scroll sides are to be fastened. 

A paper pattern should be used over which to bend the 
scrolls, .and across the bottom they should measure four 
and a half inches, and five or six inches high. To the upper 
part of one side-scroll a handle should be shaped and fas¬ 
tened, as shown in Fig. 9. 

A Candelabra 

The design for a four-armed candelabra to hold five can¬ 
dles is shown in Fig. 11. 

Cut two sticks a quarter of an inch square and ten inches 
long, another one thirteen inches long, and a short piece 
two inches long. At the middle of the ten - inch lengths 
cut laps, as shown in Fig. 12, and bore a hole through the 
centre and into an end of the long stick. Drive a slim nail 
down into the hole at the end of the stick, as shown in Fig. 
13, and over it place the cross-arms, as shown in Fig. 14. 
In one end of the short stick bore a hole, snug it over the 
top of the nail, and drive it down so that it will fit securely 
on top of the cross-sticks. The completed union will have 
the appearance of Fig. 15, and to this wood frame the scroll 
and ornamental work is to be attached. 

Lay out the plan of one side on paper, making the dis- 

88 











s^TF 1 



A CANDELABRA 














































_ INDO OR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

tance from the stick to outer edge of the foot about four 
and a half inches. At the narrowest place, near the top, 
the side should measure one and three-quarter inches in 
width. The scrolls should be securely bound to the wood 
frame with wire, and for candle sockets five six-pointed stars 
should be cut from the pattern given in Fig. 16. They 
should be two and a half inches in diameter, and bent to 
receive a standard-sized candle. A small screw passed 
through a hole in the centre will fasten them to the wood 
arms, and when placing them the wood should extend en¬ 
tirely under each socket, as may be seen in Fig. n. 

Canopy shades and holders should be made or purchased, 
and when complete with candles and shades this cande¬ 
labra should present a very pleasing appearance. 


A Fairy Lamp 

It will be found quite a simple matter to make a fairy 
lamp similar to the one shown in Fig. 17. 

The bracket should be twelve inches high and five inches 
wide from the back stick to the end of the projecting arm, 
on the end of which the suspending hook is located. The 
arm should be placed about three inches from the top, and 
both the arm and the upright are to be of wood one-quarter 
of an inch square. It would be well to make a pattern of 
the scroll-work over which to bend the metal in true shape. 

The scrolls should be securely bound to the wood ribs 
with wire instead of metal clamps, since the weight of the 
candle-sconce would have a tendency to open the clamps 
and weaken the support. 


90 







VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 


For the lamp part, it will be necessary to have the socket 
of a candlestick arranged as described for the candlestick in 
Fig. 9. The stick at the bottom should be one and a half 
inches in length. Against this the scroll-work is attached. 
Each side should measure two and a half inches long and 
three inches high from the place where the suspension- 
wire is attached to the bottom, where the pendants are 
fastened. The four scrolls must be securely bound to the 
socket and stick with wire, and from a screw-eye driven in 
the lower end of the centre stick three drops, or pendants, 
may be hung. These pendants are in the shape of bell¬ 
flowers, and may be of any size, cut from the diagram shown 
in Fig. 18. They should be strung on a wire having a knot 
made in it wherever it is desired to place a flower. 

From the scroll ends of each side-grille a wire is fastened 
and carried up to a ring that hangs on the arm-hook. These 
wires form a light and graceful mode of suspension, and 
near the upper end a canopy shade can be made fast. Pink 
red, orange, light-green, or electric-blue candles and shades 
always look well with the black iron-work of the bracket and 
sconce. 

A Burned-match Holder 

Fig. 19 gives a design for a small receptacle to be used for 
burned matches or other small waste scraps. 

Notice that the drawing shows but one side of a three 
or four sided affair. The outside frame should measure 
about three inches across at the top, two inches at the bot¬ 
tom, and two and a half inches high. 

Small hooks should be fastened to each upper corner. 


91 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

From them small chains extend up to a single ring that 
may be of wire; or a small iron harness-ring may be em¬ 
ployed for the purpose. 

The three or four sides forming the receptacle are to be 
securely bound together with wire, and for a bottom a 
thin piece of wood or a sheet of light metal can be sewed in 
with wire. Whether the bottom is of metal or wood, it 
will be necessary to make small holes around the edge 
through which the fine wire can be passed. The wire 
should be caught around the bottom ribs of the sides, and 
manipulated in much the same manner that cloth is at¬ 
tached with needle and thread. 

Each side should be backed with silk or other pretty 
material, and to prevent burning or blackening from match 
ends the entire receptacle may be relined with card-board, 
tin-foil, or asbestos paper. 

The links forming the chain are made of very narrow 
strips of the metal. Fig. 19 A shows the construction of 
the centre, and B that of one side. Two of the latter are 
to be made for each link and banded to the centre, so that 
a finished link will appear like C in Fig. 19. The links 
should be connected with little wire rings, or small brass 
rings may be purchased at a hardware store. The latter, 
when painted black, will appear as if made of iron. 

This same design can be carried out on a larger scale, 
and adapted as a hanging jardiniere in which a potted 
vine may be placed. If employed for that purpose, an 
outlet for the water must be provided in the bottom. In¬ 
stead of using a clay flower-pot, it would be well to have a 
tinsmith make a zinc inner box, with a small pipe through 

92 










VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 



the bottom to convey the waste water into a small cup that 
may be suspended underneath. As the proportions of the 
box are enlarged, the links of the chain must be made 
larger and stronger, so that the chain will be heavy enough 
to support the weight; and instead of using wire or brass 

93 




























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


rings, it would be advisable to employ small iron harness- 
rings. 

A Photograph-frame 

Among the many pretty little objects that can be made 
from thin metal strips, frames for small pictures are always 
serviceable and attractive (Fig. 20). Black is not always 
a desirable color for a frame, and there are several good 
enamel paints on sale. They may be procured in almost 
any light shade, such as pink, blue, green, brown, and the 
pale yellows or cream colors. Several successive thin coats 
of these enamel paints will give the iron scrolls a pretty 
finish. 

It is hardly necessary to lay down a size for this frame, 
as it can readily be adapted to any photograph or small 
picture. The proportions, however, should be followed as 
closely as possible, so that the design will work out about 
as shown in the drawing. 

This frame may be hung against the wall, or arranged as 
an easel for a table, mantel-shelf, or wall-bracket. If the 
latter scheme is preferred, a support may be made from 
narrow metal strips and attached to the back of the frame 
with wire. This support should be of the design shown in 
Fig. 20 A; it is attached by the top cross-bar to the back 
of the frame. This cross-bar is of round iron, and the pro¬ 
jecting ends are to be caught with wire loops, which will 
allow the back leg to act as if arranged on a hinge. To 
prevent it from going too far back, a wire or string at the 
bottom will hold it the proper distance from the frame. 

The frame proper is made from a strip of metal half an 

94 








VE NETI AN AND FLORE NTINE METAL-WORK 

inch wide, and bent in angular form, showing less than 
quarter of an inch on each side of an L- In the strip cut 
angle - notches with a pair of shears, as shown in Fig. 21, 



fl GZl 


thus forming the corners. The notches should be made 
half-way across the width of the metal, so that the point 
of each angle will just reach the middle of a strip. With a 

95 


















































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


fiat-nosed pair of pliers bend the strip in the form of the 
oblong, so that each corner will appear like Fig. 22. Join 
the frame at the bottom, allowing the metal to lap over an 
inch at the ends, and make the union by punching little 
holes and passing through small copper tacks that can be 
clinched or riveted. 

With a small bench-vise and a hammer, or with two 
pairs of pliers, grasp the strip forming the frame and bend 
it in the shape of an L all around, as shown in Fig. 23, 
taking care to match the edges of each notch so that they 
will form a mitre, as shown also in Fig. 23. Where the 
scrolls are attached to the side of this frame, they may be 
held in place by small copper tacks passed through holes 
made in both scrolls and frame and riveted. 


A Handkerchief-box 

One of the most interesting branches of the light strap 
metal-work is in making boxes of all shapes and sizes. The 
variety of designs that can be employed is practically in¬ 
exhaustible, but certain general principles should be ob¬ 
served. For instance, a box to hold matches should be of 
small and neat design, while in a larger box the ornament 
may be more open and bolder, and the strips from which it 
is made should be heavier and stronger. 

A handkerchief-box fashioned after the design shown in 
Fig. 24 is a pretty as well as a useful article for a bureau or 
dressing-table. A is the pattern for the top, and B repre¬ 
sents one of the sides. 

It should measure eight or ten inches square and three 

96 



VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 



inches deep, or larger if desired, and the frame should be 
of wire or wood. If wood is employed, sticks three-six¬ 
teenths of an inch square must be lap-join ted at the angles, 
as shown in Fig. 25, and the union made with glue and screws 
or fine steel-wire nails. 

If the box should be made of brass scrolls, it would be 
well to obtain some brass rods about one-eighth or three- 
sixteenths of an inch square, and bend them to form the 
framework. Where the ends meet, lap-joints should be 
cut and wired. 

If the brass should be too hard to bend in a vise without 
breaking, the part it is desired to work should be heated 
over a spirit-lamp or in a gas flame for a moment or two; 

97 


7 
































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

when cool, it will be soft and pliable. If brass should be 
employed for the frame, the joints must be soldered instead 
of wired. To solder them it will be necessary to have some 
soldering solution, a spirit-lamp, and some wire solder. 

To unite the metal ends apply some of the soldering solu¬ 
tion to the parts with a piece of wood or an old camel’s-hair 
brush, and then hold them over, or in the lamp flame, until 
they are quite hot. When sufficiently heated touch them 
with the end of a piece of solder, and the heat of the metal 
will instantly melt the solder, so that it will adhere to the 
brass. To hold the parts together while they are being 
soldered, give them a turn or two of fine iron wire. After 
they have been united and the brass is cold, the wire may 
be removed and the rough parts of the solder filed away. 

Small brass hinges may be screwed fast to the wood 
ribs to attach the lid to the box, and if brass is employed for 
the frame and grille work the hinges must be soldered to 
the frame. 

A Sign-board 

For a sign-board an idea is suggested in Fig. 26. At one’s 
place of business, in front of a cottage, or on a mile-post, 
it may be displayed to good advantage. 

It is only a board on which sheet-iron or lead letters have 
been fastened, and the edges bound with metal and large¬ 
headed nails. A rod set at right angles to a post supports 
the sign-board, and to ornament it some scroll-work is at¬ 
tached at the top. Scroll ornaments decorate the sides and 
bottom of the board. These are fastened on with steel- 
wire nails driven through holes made in the metal and into 

98 








VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 


the edges of the board. The ornamental scroll-work should 
be made of somewhat thicker and wider iron strips than 
the more delicate articles for indoor use, and all the iron 
should be given one or two coats of red-lead paint before 
the black finish is applied. To prevent rust-marks from 
running down on the wood board, it is necessary to coat the 
back part of the letters and all iron straps which may lie 
against the wood. It is much better to use sheet-lead for 
the letters, since it cuts easier, and will not stain the wood 
with rust or corrosion marks. 

Double Doorway Grille 

For a double doorway a pretty effect is shown in Fig. 27, 
where a long grille is arranged at the top of a doorway, and 
under it the curtain-pole is attached. 

The outer frame for a grille of this size should be made 
by a blacksmith from an iron rod about three-eighths of 
an inch square. The inner frame may be made of strip- 
iron three-eighths of an inch wide, and three inches smaller 
all around than the larger one. The metal strips employed 
to form the grille design should be three-eighths of an inch 
wide, and cut from box strap-iron. 

The full-size drawing should be laid out on paper, over 
which it will be an easy matter to shape the scrolls. If 
the grille should be too open when the pattern is com¬ 
pleted, some more scrolls may be added to fill the spaces, 
taking care not to injure the general design of the pat¬ 
tern. 

The grille may be anchored to the wood-work of the casing 

99 

l 9 > > 

) > 

•» > > 





__INDOOR BOO K F OR BOYS__ 

with steel-wire nails or staples, and several coats of black 
should be given the iron to finish it nicely. 


A Moorish Lantern 

Having gained by experience the knowledge and art of 
working in strip-metal, and after successfully making a 
number of the smaller objects already described, it is per¬ 
haps time to undertake the construction of something 
larger and more elaborate. 

As an example of such work, a very beautiful design for 
a Moorish lantern is shown in Fig. 28. It is not a difficult 
piece of work, nor is it beyond the ability of any smart 
boy, but it must not be attempted before a thorough knowl¬ 
edge of forming frames and scrolls and of pattern drawing 
has been gained through experience in making more simple 
objects. 

In size this lantern is not limited, and it may be made from 
twelve to thirty-six inches high, not including the suspen¬ 
sion chain and rings and the drop of flower-pendants at the 
bottom. 

For a lamp twenty inches high having six sides, each panel 
should be made on a wire frame. The middle panels meas¬ 
ure six inches high, four inches wide at the top, and three 
inches at the bottom. The top panels are five inches across 
at the widest place, and the lower ones four and a half 
inches. One of the middle panels can be arranged to swing 
on hinges, in order to place a lamp within the lantern, and 
also to make it possible to line the inside of the lantern 
body with some plain silk or other material. 

k 
k 

c 

( c 
< c % 


IOO 










VENETIAN AND FLORENTINE METAL-WORK 


At the top and bottom scrolls are to be formed of the 
stout wire employed for the ribs or framework. Under the 
crown top, at the six corners, brackets may extend out for 
a distance of five inches, from which sconces for tapers or 
small candles may be hung. Or these brackets may be 


omitted, and in place of the hooks a small scroll may be 
formed at the extending ends. Each little sconce is two 
inches deep and two and a half inches in diameter, and in 
them candle-holders may be placed, over which colored 
glass globes will appear to good advantage. From the top 



IOI 














INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


of the lower lobe six arms support flower-drops four or five 
inches long, and from the extreme bottom a pendant of 
flowers finishes off the whole. No matter what size this 
lantern is made, the proportions should be carefully pre¬ 
served, or the effect will be spoiled. 

A long chain made up of links and rings may be used to 
suspend the lantern. Should a more secure anchorage be 
desired, four chains may be attached at four places on the 
ceiling of a room, from which anchorage they all meet at 
the top of the lantern. 

The illustration shows the lantern in perspective, but it 
must be borne in mind that it has six sides, and the patterns 
of the six sides, of the top, middle section, and bottom are 
like those in the three front sections that face the reader 
as he looks at the drawing. 








Chapter VI 


METAL-BOUND WORK 

T HIN sheets of various metals may be used to great 
advantage in the decoration of household furniture, 
either serving as artistic edgings, or representing strength¬ 
ening straps, hinges, etc. When finished off with heavy 
wrought-iron or bellows nails, the effect is both striking and 
pleasing. The art is not a difficult one to acquire, and the 
hints and suggestions that follow should enable any smart 
boy to pick it up in a comparatively short time. 


A Metal-bound Box 

As a receptacle for photographs, picture-cards, and the 
other small trifles that accumulate in a library or living- 
room, a box such as shown in Fig. i will be found most 
useful. 

Obtain some smooth pieces of wood, not more than three- 
eighths or half an inch thick, and construct a box eighteen 
inches long, ten wide, and eight inches deep, including top, 
bottom, and sides. These parts are to be glued and nailed 
together so as to form an enclosed box. Use a good liquid 
glue and slim steel-wire nails to make the joints. When 

103 


__ _INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

the glue is dry, cut the box through all around the sides, one 
and a half inches down from the top. The lid, or cover, is 
thereby cut loose, and it will match the body of the box 
much more accurately than if made separately and fitted. 

Plane and sand-paper the rough edges left by the saw, and 
attach the lid to the back edge of the box with hinges. 
The outside of the box may be stained or painted any de¬ 
sirable color, and when dry it will be ready to receive the 
metal decorations. 

From a tinsmith obtain a few sheets of thin stove-pipe 
iron of good quality, or a strip of thin sheet-lead; then, 
with a stout pair of shears, cut some strips about one and 
a quarter inches wide to bind the edges of the box. A strip 
is bent over so as to lap on both sides of a corner. A metal 
band five-eighths of an inch wide will show on each side 



and also on top. The metal is to be fastened on with brass 
oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks, and the heads may be from 
a quarter to half an inch in diameter. 

It will not be possible, perhaps, to drive these tacks 
through the metal strips unless a hole is first punched. 
These small holes may be made with a sharp-pointed awl at 
regular distances apart. This should be done before the 

104 











































































































METAL-BOUND WORK 


strip is laid on the wood, so as not to subject the box 
joints to any more strain than necessary. 

To bind an edge, tack a strip of the metal along one side, 
bend it around the first corner, and so on along each side 
until the two sides are brought together, where a nail-head 
will almost hide the joint. At each corner cut a V out of 
the strip, as shown in Fig. 2. The metal, when fastened to 
one edge, will appear as shown at the right side of Fig. 3. 

When the nails have been securely fastened in, bend 
down the standing edge of metal so that it will lie flat on 
the other side of the corner. This may be done by beating 
it down with a light wooden mallet. Drive nails along the 
strip corresponding in position to those first fixed, and the 
edge will appear as shown at the left side of Fig. 3. 

Where the angle, or V, was cut out of the strip at the cor¬ 
ners, the metal will come together and form a good mitre. 
In the middle of this joint drive a nail, the head of which 
will partially hide the line of juncture. 

From the sheet iron or lead cut a few irregular strips of 
suitable length, and fasten them to the box to represent 
hinge or binding straps. The hasp and eye-plate may be 
made in the same manner. 

The box should be lined with Canton flannel, velour, leather, 
or any good lining material. A band of webbing, or a chain, 
arranged on the inside will prevent the cover from falling 
back too far. 

A Wood-holder 

In a room where space cannot be spared for a large wood- 
box, a wood-holder similar to the one shown in Fig. 4 is a 
useful piece of furniture. 

105 








INDOOR BOOK^FOR BOYS 

This holder is twelve to fifteen inches square, fifteen 
inches high at the front, and twenty inches high at the 
back, with the sides cut down, as shown in the drawing. 

The wood is three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch 
thick, and planed on both sides and edges. Any of the hard 
woods may be employed to good advantage in making the 
box part, but if it is to be painted rather than left in the 
natural finish, the wood-work may be of pine or white-wood 
to save expense. 

The metal binding is done in a similar fashion to that of 
the box in Fig. i, and if iron is used for the straps they 
should be coated with black paint. The strips should be 
two inches in width, and when bent around the edges and 
corners one inch of metal must show on each side. 

A Plant-box 

For large, growing plants, palms, and imitation trees, an 
attractive plant-box is shown in Fig. 5. 

It can be made almost any size to meet the requirements 
of the plant that is to live in it; but for general use it should 
measure twelve inches square at the bottom, eighteen at 
the top, and from twelve to fourteen inches high. 

The metal binding should be three-quarters or an inch 
wide on each side; it need not be carried over the top edge 
unless desired. 

On two sides of the box ring-handles are to be fastened. 
These will be made by a blacksmith at a small cost, and 
should be from two and a half inches to four inches in di¬ 
ameter, according to the size of the box. 

106 






METAL-BOUND WORK 



On the other sides a conventional design may be worked 
out with strips of metal cut according to the required pat¬ 
tern. 

This box should be treated to several good coats of paint 
inside, and finished as desired on the outside. Quartered 
oak with black metal trimmings make a good combination; 
also mahogany, cherry, or red-wood with brass bindings. 

A zinc lining should be fitted to the box, with a vent-hole 

107 























































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


at the bottom to drain off surplus moisture. No other 
metal than zinc should be employed for the lining, since 
iron or tin will corrode or rust. Copper tacks must be used 
to attach it to the wood. 


A Coal-box 

Fig. 6 gives the design for an old English coal-box. 

It is a very simple affair to construct, since it can be made 
from an ordinary box cut down at one end so as to form 
a projection or nose. 

The structural plan of the box is clearly shown in Fig. 7, 
and in size it may be made to meet any requirement. For 
regular use, however, it is fifteen inches wide, twenty inches 
long from back to end of the nose, and about twelve inches 
high, not counting the ball feet, which will raise it up two 
inches more. 

The box should be securely screwed together at the 
joints, and the lid, or cover, must be fastened on with sheet- 
brass hinges. Paint or varnish will give the wood-work a 
good finish, and the lining should be made with several 
successive coats of asphaltum varnish or paint of a dark 
color. 

Brass, lead, or black iron binding will look well on this 
box, and with large-headed nails the effect will be bold and 
pleasing. 

Four balls about two inches in diameter are to be 
turned and screwed fast under the corners to serve as feet. 
To give a good purchase on the bottom of the box, it would 
be well to flatten part of the surface on each ball. One 

108 








METAL-BOUND WORK 


long screw will be sufficient to anchor each foot firmly if 
driven through from the inside of the box into the ball. 
A little glue between the joint will add greatly in making 
the union strong. 

A Table-lamp 

The design for a table-lamp is shown in Fig. 8. 

Any boy who is handy with tools can put this lamp to¬ 
gether from wood, burlap, sheet-lead, wire, some oval¬ 
headed upholsterers’ tacks, four claw-feet, and a lamp-fount. 



From boards about half an inch in thickness make a 
box seven inches square at the top, ten at the bottom, and 

109 











INDOO R BOO K FOR BOYS 

twelve inches high. In the top of the box a round hole is 
cut to receive the lamp-fount. Five inches in diameter will 
be about right for the hole, since that is the measurement 
of the standard oil-pot. A flange, or rim, all around the 
upper edge of the fount will prevent it from falling through 
the hole. If the burner has a central draught it will be 
necessary to bore some large holes through the bottom of 
the box to admit air for the under draught. 

With burlap, bagging, or canvas cover the entire outside 
of the box, the material being fastened to the wood with 
glue and small, flat-headed tacks at the edges. The glue 
must be spread evenly over the wood by means of a rag pad, 
or, still better, a small photographic squeegee roller may be 
employed. The covering material can be painted any good 
shade, and when the paint is dry the box will be ready for 
the decorations and trimmings. 

From sheet-lead, or iron, cut some strips one inch and a 
quarter wide, and bind the corners and edges of the box, 
allowing about five-eighths of an inch to show on each side. 
Fasten these strips on the edges of the box with large, oval- 
headed upholsterers’ tacks, driven along each side at even 
distances apart, as shown in the illustration. 

On a piece of smooth brown paper draw the outline of 
one side of the box, and then sketch in the design for the 
metal torch and wreath. Over this pattern it will be a 
comparatively easy matter to cut and fit each of the sepa¬ 
rate parts of the design. These parts are to be of thin iron 
or lead, but for the stems to the laurel wreath use pieces of 
iron wire, and fasten them on with small staples. The 
staples may be made from pins with the heads cut off. 


I IO 







METAL-BOUND WORK 


The pieces of metal forming these side designs are to be 
fastened to the wood with oval-headed carpet tacks, and 
enough of them must be driven in each piece to hold it 
firmly in place. When all the metal-work has been ap¬ 
plied, purchase at a hardware store four claw-feet, and screw 
one fast under each corner of the box. They will be of 
brass, but when painted black they will appear as if made 
of iron. 

All the metal parts of the lamp must be blacked to pre¬ 
sent a good appearance. To make a good black finishing 
paint obtain at a paint store a can of ivory black ground 
in oil. Thin it to the consistency of rich milk with Japan 
dryer and spirits of turpentine mixed together, one part of 
the former to two parts of the latter. Place them together 
in a bottle and thoroughly mix them by shaking the bottle 
vigorously. A small quantity only should be thinned 
at a time and as required, since it works better when 
freshly mixed, and does not have the gummy appearance 
that an old mixture presents. Two or three successive 
coats laid on with a soft camel’s-hair brush will be sufficient 
to cover the iron well and give it a good surface. When 
using the black take care not to smear it on the box, as it 
would produce an untidy and messy appearance. 

With the addition of a pretty canopy shade, that can be 
arranged on a wire frame, the effect will be most decorative 
and pleasing. 

A Hanging-lamp 

For the dining-room or library, a hanging-lamp, such as 
shown in Fig. 9, is both ornamental and useful. 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


The box that holds the lamp is eight inehes square at 
the top, five and a half inches at the bottom, and five inches 
deep. It is covered with burlap or other suitable material, 
or may be left plain or painted. 

A hole is cut in the top of the box to receive the fount, 
and if it is a central-draught burner a large opening must 
be made in the bottom of the box, with a perforated metal 
cap arranged to fit over it. 

From the top of the four corners, iron scrolls, that a 
blacksmith can make, project four inches beyond the wood, 
and to these the suspension - chains are fastened. The 
chains are made of one-inch iron harness-rings and links 
three inches long, formed of narrow strips of stove-pipe or 
box strap-iron less than a quarter of an inch in width, and 
shaped as shown in Fig. 10. 

From the under side, and fastened at each corner of the 
box, hang four small chains. They are united at the centre 
a few inches below the under side of the box, and are fin¬ 
ished off with a drop formed of metal lilies. In order to 
form these flowers, cut from sheet-iron the petals, as pat¬ 
terned in Fig. ii. Three different sizes should be drawn 
on a sheet of iron with a piece of chalk or white crayon, 
after which they may be cut out with a pair of shears and 
bent into form with the fingers. They are to be hung to¬ 
gether one below the other by means of small wires, fast¬ 
ened to the centre of each flower through holes punched 
with a sharp-pointed awl. 

A large paper or silk shade may be arranged on a wire 
frame to slip over the chains, and to hold it in place it 
should be fastened to some of the links with wire. 







METAL-BOUND WORK 



A Hanging-plant Box 

For vines, small plants, or pretty blade grasses a design 
for a hanging-plant box is shown in Fig. 12. 

This is not a very large affair, and it is made of thin wood 
not more than three-eighths or half an inch in thickness. 
8 ,113 



























_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

The box part measures eight inches square at the top, six 
at the bottom, and ten inches high. 

The inside of the box is to be treated to several coats of 
paint or asphaltum varnish to protect the wood, and the 
outside may be given two coats of paint. The corners are 
then to be bound with metal strips, and the design on each 
of the four sides worked out with hobnails painted black. 

It is difficult to carry out such a design on four sides of 
a box unless a pattern is used. To obtain the most ac¬ 
curate results it would be best to draw the design with 
pencil on a smooth piece of paper, then make four tracings 
of it on tissue-paper. The tracing should then be fastened 
to the wood with pins and the tacks driven in, following 
the lines of the design. 

When the tacks have been driven in part way, tear off 
the paper, and with a flat-iron held against the inside of 
the box to drive against, hammer the nails in so that the 
heads will lie snugly against the surface of the wood. 

Each side is to be treated in the same manner, so that 
the four sides will be alike. If the hobnails cannot be had 
at a hardware store, or from a shoemaker, oval-headed 
upholsterers’ tacks may be used. Paint them black before 
they are driven into the wood. 

At the top of the box, in the four corners, eyes are to be 
made fast, into which the ends of the suspending chains can 
be caught. Four chains, made from thin strips of metal 
and small harness-rings, are to be fastened in place, as 
shown in the drawing. 







Chapter VII 


DECORATIVE HARDWARE 

P ROPERLY to complete even the simplest of cabinets or 
chests some hardware will be needed, whether it be 
only a pair of strap-hinges and a padlock or the most 
elaborate kind of ornamental fittings. Plain hinges and a 
lock will answer every ordinary purpose, but a nice chest 
or case should be finished off with ornamental hinge-straps, 
escutcheons, lock-plates, or handles. 

These fixtures may be purchased at a hardware store 
and in some large cities a very beautiful assortment of 
fancy hardware is displayed. But it will be both cheaper 
and more satisfactory for the young craftsman to make these 
fittings for himself, and the art is not a difficult one to ac¬ 
quire. Some of the accompanying designs may appear at 
first sight rather beyond the ability of the average boy, and 
so thev would be if thev were cast in brass or bronze or 
cut from thick sheet-metal. But all of them can be shaped 
from ordinary sheet-lead with a pair of old shears, a few 
small chisels, and a light mallet. 

Scraps of sheet-lead, varying in thickness from one to 
three-sixteenths of an inch, may be purchased from a 
plumber for five or six cents a pound. For the ordinary 

115 


_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS__ 

fixtures of medium size the metal should be a trifle less 
than one-eighth of an inch in thickness. For the heavier 
hardware an old piece of lead pipe may be used by splitting 
or sawing it open, and beating it out flat, on the surface of 
an old flat-iron, with a hard wooden mallet. If sheet 
brass, copper, or zinc are employed, they should be of the 
soft kind, so as to cut easily. If too hard, the pieces may 
be softened or annealed by putting them in a fire until they 
are cherry-red. They should then be drawn out and al¬ 
lowed to cool, when they will be found quite soft and easy 
to work. 

The boy who owns a scroll-saw will find it an easy mat¬ 
ter to jig out these designs, whether the material be lead 
or one of the harder metals. Special fret-saws may be pur¬ 
chased for this purpose, having finer teeth and being more 
highly tempered than those used for wood-working. In saw¬ 
ing metal you must be careful not to force the saw, and after 
cutting an inch or two allow the blade to cool, otherwise it 
will break. 

If a hand jig-saw is the only tool available the metal 
should be held in a vise. With very thin lead the dress¬ 
ing is best done by laying the metal on a hard - wood 
block and cutting out with small chisels and a light 
mallet. 

Three or four small wood-carving chisels, straight-edges, 
and gouges will be found admirable tools for this work, and, 
as the lead does not dull them, they will keep an edge for 
a long time. A wood-carving chisel is ground on both 
sides, which makes it better for this work than a carpenter’s 
chisel, which is ground only on one side. A light mallet, a 

116 







DECORATIVE HARDWARE 


hard-wood block, a coarse file or two, and a knife with a 
small, sharp blade will be the only other tools required. 


Escutcheons 

The term escutcheon, as applied to hardware, means the 
ornamental metal plate that is placed over a key-hole, and 
through which the key has to pass in order to reach the 
lock. The name is applied also to the plate behind a 
knocker, or that to which a ring or handle is attached. 

In Fig. i a few designs for small escutcheons are shown. 
Their actual size should be in proportion to that of the 
drawer or door to which they are to be attached. 

The design should be drawn to the proper size on a piece 
of brown paper, then cut out with scissors and laid on a 
piece of metal, the outline being scratched with a pin or 
drawn on with pen and ink. 

If the metal is sawed the edges will be rough, but they 
may be dressed down with the files. If the lead is cut out the 
edges can be finished with a knife-blade, as lead cuts easily 
and is pleasant to work in. It sometimes happens that in 
cutting out the more delicate parts of the design that the 
chisels will distort the metal or force it out of shape. In 
this case the trueness may be restored by tapping the edges 
with a small hammer. 

A small hand-drill will be found useful for boring holes in 
the metal, through which screws or nails pass to secure 
the escutcheons to the wood. If a drill cannot be had, a 
small awl will answer very well. 

Be careful that you do not make the key-hole too large. 

117 








ESCUTCHEONS AND HINGE-STRAPS 

















DECORATIVE HARDWARE 


It should be only a trifle larger than the key, in order to 
lead the latter easily. 


T 

Short Hinge-straps 


A single hinge is always made like a book, with two 
leaves and a back, through which a pin is run to hold the 
leaves together. In door-hinges the leaves are usually 
arranged so that when the door is closed the leaves are out 
of sight. These hinges are called butts, while those applied 
to the outside surface are called T or strap-hinges, and some¬ 
times plate-hinges. 

The short hinge-straps shown in Fig. 2 are not intended 
as a part of the hinge, but only as sham straps. Where a 
butt is mounted in the wood these straps are arranged on 
either side of the back. Fig. 3 shows the manner in which 



a butt is mounted in a door and jamb, and Fig. 4 shows 
the reverse side with the back protruding, at one side of 
which the lead strap is mounted. The inside, or parallel, 
lines of the straps are the edges that butt against the hinge- 
back, and they are to be cut to fit the width of the hinge. 

119 




















_INDOOR^BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

The size should also correspond generally to that of the 
shape and dimensions of the door or box lid. For artistic 
effect large sham nail-heads may be fastened over the nail 
or screw heads that really secure the hinge to the wood. 

In some of the plain straps a very good imitation of 
hand-wrought iron straps may be made by beating the sur¬ 
face of the lead with a hammer having the face slightly 
crowned or rounded. The hammer-marks will show up 
distinctly, and when the straps are painted black no one 
will know but what they are really iron straps beaten out 
by hand. 

Another good effect may be secured by beating the edges 
down slightly with a small hammer instead of dressing 
them with a file; this rounds or flattens them, and eliminates 
the angular edge that is common in all cheap hardware. 


Long Hinge-straps 

For cabinet and chest doors, and doors that open into 
rooms, some long hinge-straps are shown in Fig. 5, the pro¬ 
portions being correctly indicated. 

If the jamb is sufficiently wide, straps may be placed on 
both sides of the hinge-back. Usually, however, the jamb 
is too narrow\ 

These straps, if made of lead, should be thicker than the 
short straps, otherwise they will look weak. For a strap 
twelve to fifteen inches long the metal should not be less 
than one-eighth of an inch thick, and for some designs it 
would look better if quarter-inch material is used. 

It is quite as easy to saw" out thick metal as thin, only it 

120 


1 







_DECORA TI VE HARDWARE_ 

takes a little longer time. The saw must be held straight 
and not allowed to bind. Never force a saw through lead, 
as it will bind and check, and also will pick up a thin lead 
coating, materially adding to the friction. If the saw does 
not run easily, lubricate it with a little soapy water, and 
afterwards wipe it off to prevent rust. When working with 
a scroll-saw on which there is a table, or bed, the soapy 
water should be drawn along the lines on the metal with 
a soft hair-brush. As the saw cuts it will take up the water. 

Drawer-pulls and Handle-plates 

Small drawer-pulls and handles may be purchased at any 
hardware store for a few cents each, but they are usually 
very plain and unattractive. Rings in heads and handles 
on plain plates are the best to purchase, as then the heads 
may be mounted on fancy escutcheons, and the handles 
and keepers removed from the plain plates and reset in 
lead mountings of artistic design, wrought or sawed from 
lead or other ductile material. 

Drawer-pulls are generally arranged with a shank at the 
back of the ring-head which passes into the wood, and 
into which a screw is driven from the inside of the drawer. 

Handle-keepers are made in the same way. In design¬ 
ing fancy escutcheons and plates, care must be taken to 
arrange the holes the proper distance apart to receive the 
keeper-ends. 

Door-plates 

On swing and sliding doors—and sometimes on plain 
doors—plates are mounted above the lock on both sides. 

X2I 


4 








__JNDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

Their use is to protect the painted or polished wood-work 
from finger-marks and similar defacements. Quite elabo¬ 
rate plates are used on some doors, while others are mounted 
with very plain ones. In Fig. 7 a variety of designs are shown. 

The average plate varies in length from six to twelve 
inches. In width they measure from two and a half 
inches to three inches, and the metal should be about one- 
eighth of an inch in thickness. 

Door-pull plates are made to receive the ends of a handle. 
The latter is boltod to the reverse side of the door with 
countersunk nuts or flush screws. The upper line of draw¬ 
ings in Fig. 7 are designed for this purpose, and the two 
holes are spaced to line with the ends of the handle that is 
to be inserted. In addition to the anchorage these plates 
will get by being held to the wood under the handles, it 
would be well to make a few holes at the edges, through 
which small nails may be driven. 

Large Lock-plates 

In Fig. 8 several designs for large lock-plates are shown. 
In this instance the knob and key-hole are placed in the 
same plate. This variety of door hardware offers a broad 
field for the young designer. But be sure and space the 
two holes so that the knob and key are in the right place. 

In the extreme right-hand plate (Fig. 8) an effect of con¬ 
tinued scroll is secured around the key-hole by cutting the 
ornament out of the body of the plate. This is just the 
reverse of the scrolls forming the right side of the plate, 
the ornament in this latter case being of the solid metal. 











I ] ! < , j 

(j h i 



V / *' A 



_ DECORATIVE HAR DWARE____ 

More “feeling” may be given to the solid scroll if an effect 
of relief is worked out with some blunt tool and the mallet. 
This may be done with an ordinary nail-punch or a blunt 


awl. For the veining use an awl or a dull chisel, lightly 
tapping the tool with a wooden mallet. 

123 

















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


Door-knockers and Miscellaneous Ornaments 

Door-knockers and plates are made in a great variety 
of designs. The most elaborate and richly ornamented 
knockers are cast in bronze and chased by hand, but this 
work is not possible for the boy craftsman to accomplish 
with his small outfit and limited knowledge of the higher 
grade of art metal-work. 

The knocker-plates shown in Fig. 9 are cut from sheet- 
lead, but the rings in the keepers (with the knob of metal 
at the lower side) must be made from iron or other hard 
metal. A blacksmith will make these rings and set them 
in a head, or keeper, which in turn is bolted to the inside 
of a door. Where the knob of metal strikes the plate an 
iron nail with a large head must be driven through the es¬ 
cutcheon and into the door, so that the knob will strike upon 
it. Lead will not do for the ring or knob, nor as a striking- 
plate, since it is too soft to sound sharply and distinctly. 

Sheet-lead ornaments in a great variety of designs may 
be made for panels, the sides of cases, or for the decoration 
and embellishment of wood-work in general. Wall-paper, 
carpet, upholstery, and other figured fabrics will offer ideas 
from which to copy; but after a little practise the young 
craftsman should originate his own designs, and not depend 
on other people’s brains to furnish him with working pat¬ 
terns. 





Chapter VIII 


WIRE-WORK 

T HERE are many pretty and useful articles that can be 
made for the home, using simple tools and inexpen¬ 
sive materials. Who would imagine, for instance, that such 
attractive objects as the ones shown in these illustrations 
could be made from a few pieces of wire of different sizes? 
Yet, with a little care and perseverance, you may quickly 
become an expert in wire-working. 

To begin with, it is necessary to obtain several yards of 
soft iron wire varying in sizes from No. 12 to No. 18, also 
a small roll of soft wire about the size that florists employ 
to attach flowers to short sticks when making up bouquets. 

The tools needed will be a flat and a round nosed pair of 
pincers, or pliers (see Figs. 1 and 2), a wire-cutter, and a 
tack-hammer. You will also need a sheet of smooth brown 
paper, and a soft lead-pencil with which to draw the pat¬ 
terns. 

A Bird-cage Bracket 

Begin by making simple things; then as you succeed in 
producing good work you will be able to take up the more 
difficult patterns. A bird-cage bracket is an easy object to 

125 


INDOOR ROOK FOR BOYS 


start with. Enlarge the design shown in Fig. 3 so that it 
will be sixteen inches high, with the hook-arm projecting 
seven inches from the main upright rod. 

The pattern is to be drawn out the full size on smooth 
brown paper; then the wire should be bent and shaped over 



the lines to conform to the design. Use very heavy wire 
for the upright and projecting arm, and a smaller size for 
all the scroll-work. The finest copper wire should be used 
to bind the scrolls together, and so make tight unions where 
two edges of wire come together and where the wires cross. 

126 

















WIRE-WORK 


This bracket should be firmly secured to the window- 
casing with two staples. The staples should not be driven 
quite home, thus allowing the bracket to be swung from 
one side to the other of the casing, as though on hinges. 
This is especially desirable if the bracket is to be used for 
a hanging-basket or pot of flowers, as it can then be moved 
against the window or turned back to the wall, to permit 
of the window being opened or cleaned. 

The iron wire should be given two coats of good black 
paint, or, if desired, it may be gilded or silvered. An ex¬ 
cellent black preparation for iron may be made by thinning 
ivory-black ground in oil with equal parts of Japan dryer 
and turpentine. Or you may try adding a little lamp-black 
to brass lacquer or shellac. 

The paint should be applied to the iron with a soft hair 
brush, and the first coat must be good and dry before the 
second one is applied. 

If brass wire is used instead of iron the joints should be 
soldered, to lend additional strength. The soldering is an 
easy process and requires only a little care. To do it nicely, 
obtain from a plumber a little soldering solution in a bot¬ 
tle, and, with a piece of stick, place a drop of solution on 
each union that has been bound with the fine brass wire. 
Hold the union over a spirit-lamp flame, and when the wire 
has become thoroughly heated touch the joint with a piece 
of wire solder; the latter will instantly melt and adhere 
to the joint. If soldering solution is not used the joint 
cannot be soldered, and if the wire is not hot enough the 
solder will not melt. If the wire should be too hot the 
solder will melt and fall off from the joint like a drop of 

127 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

water. A little experience will soon enable one to become 
an expert solderer, and the process should be employed 
wherever possible, as it strengthens the joints and unions, 
and holds them rigidly in place. Galvanized or tinned iron 
wire can be soldered in the same manner. 

The brass wire should be painted black the same as iron, 
but before any paint is applied the superfluous solution 
should be washed off with water, as paint will not hold if 
applied over the soldering solution. 

A Photograph Easel 

Fig. 4 shows a design for a photograph easel that will 
make an attractive table or mantel ornament if neatly con¬ 
structed from wire of medium size. It should not measure 
more than nine inches in height, and where the lattice-work 
joins the lower cross-bar two hooks should be arranged 
on which the photograph can rest. 

A back support, or prop, to the easel may be made of 
wire, and soldered to the bar at the upper edge of the lat¬ 
tice-work. The lattice need not be made of as heavy 
wire as the scroll-work, and where the strands cross each 
other the junctions are to be securely bound with fine 
wire. 

Larger easels may be made for small-framed etchings, 
for panel photographs, or for other purposes, but as the 
size of the easel is enlarged the thickness of the wire should 
be increased to give additional strength. 

By reducing the size of the lower scrolls this design would 
be quite appropriate for a lamp-shade, and instead of the 

128 









WIRE-WORK 


lattice-work a piece of prettily colored silk or other trans¬ 
lucent material mav be inserted to serve as the backing. 

A Match-box 


An attractive design for a match-box is shown in Fig. 5. 
The total height of the back piece should be nine inches, 



and the width three inches. The match-receptacle should be 
an inch deep and project one and a half inches from the wall. 
It should be lined with silk or other goods, to prevent the 

129 


0 




























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


matches falling through the open-work of the grille. Fin¬ 
ished in black, with a red or orange colored silk lining, this 
match-receptacle will be found both useful and ornamental. 


A Fairy Lamp 

A hanging fairy lamp, like the one shown in Fig. 6, makes 
a pretty ornament for the parlor or living-room. 

The bracket part is made in a similar manner to the bird¬ 
cage bracket, and should be of stout wire. The candle- 
sconce, or lamp part, is built up of four sets of scrolls ar¬ 
ranged about an old tin candlestick top, and securely 
bound together with strands of fine wire closely wrapped. 

By using brass wire soldered at the unions a stronger 
construction is possible. 

The sconce should be suspended from the bracket-hook 
by means of four light wires. These latter may also sup¬ 
port a canopy shade made over a light framework of wire. 

Ordinary colored candles will look well in this fairy lamp. 
To keep the colors in harmony it would be well to obtain 
candles of a tint that will match the color of the silk shade. 
The lamp may be fastened to a door or window casing, 
or perhaps to the sides of a mantel-piece. 


A Picture-frame 

Fig. 7 shows the design for a picture-frame that is in¬ 
tended to hang against the wall. The frame proper may 
be made of very narrow picture - frame moulding around 
which the grille-work is arranged. Where the latter touches 

130 





WIRE-WORK 



the wood-work it is to be made fast with small staples 
driven in the outer edge, and the ends clinched at the in¬ 
side, or rabbet, of the frame. Or fine wire may be used in 
place of the staples. 

If an all-iron effect is desired, the rabbet should be made 
of thin stove-pipe iron or sheet-brass, bent into angular 
form and finally shaped to the required size. Around it the 
grille-work is to be made and bound, in about the same pro¬ 
portion as shown in the drawing. 

1 3i 














































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


A Glove-box 

A design for a glove-box is shown in Fig. 8. It should be 
ten inches long, five wide, and three inches high. 

The bottom should be made of a thin piece of wood, and 
the entire inside, including the top, should be lined with 
some handsome and substantial material in bright colors. 

The four sides and the top should be made in separate 
pieces, and afterwards bound securely together with fine 
wire. 

A Window-grille 

Fig. 9 is a grille for the upper part of a window. It will 
be very effective if constructed of heavy wire, the design 
being neatly carried out. Variations of this grille may be 
made for doorways, transoms, and skylights, and with the 
hints and drawings already given a bright boy will soon 
be able to invent and work out his own designs. There are 
dozens of other objects that may be made in iron-work, and 
these will soon suggest themselves to the young craftsman. 




Chapter IX 

GAS AND ELECTRIC SHADES 

S HADES for gas and electric fixtures are a necessity in 
almost every house, and by the exercise of a little inven¬ 
tiveness they may be a part of its ornament as well. In 
the suggestions and hints that follow the aim has been to 
create from inexpensive material really artistic results. It 
all depends upon the care and ability with which the 
young craftsman goes to work. 

A Simple Gas-shade 

Fig. i is a simple shade intended for a bracket gas-burner; 
in shape and size it fits the rim that holds the ordinary 
glass globe. 

From covered hat-wire four or five forms are constructed 
like the pattern, Fig. i A. They should be of such width 
at the bottom that when attached together and bent in a 
circle they will fit in the rim that is on the fixture. Each 
form is then covered with China silk of some light, pretty 
shade, and bent over, as shown in the drawing. Some 
spangles are sewed to the outer surface to form the design, 
or pattern, and the fine lines are worked out with silk or 

i33 




INDOOR BOOKJFOR BOYS__ 

laid on with gold thread. Between each section some glass 
beads are strung, and the other details may be gathered 
from the drawing. 

Another Gas-shade 

In Fig. 2 another idea is shown for a gas-shade. Six 
frames of wire are made, as shown at Fig. 2 A, and the 
ornament is formed of wire, and held in place by means of 
very fine wire wound round the unions. When the six 
sides have been made they are bound together so as to 
form a hexagon (Fig. 2 B), and with stout wires this frame 
is made fast to a rim, inside of which a glass shade may 
rest, if desired. 

The inside of this frame is lined with light silk, and to 
the lower edge a glass-bead fringe three or four inches 
long is made fast, as shown in the drawing. 

A Metal Shade 

In Fig. 3 an odd shade is shown. It is cut from thin 
sheet-lead with a small chisel and pen-knife blade, the metal 
being laid flat, as shown at A, and the design being first 
drawn out with pen and ink. The ends of the strip of lead 
are caught together with small copper tacks, which should 
be driven down at the ends the same as rivets. 

In order to obtain the flare at the top, the lead should 
be beaten out with a light tack - hammer or a round 
piece of hard-wood, until the proper shape has been ob¬ 
tained. 

The metal-work should be painted black, and to lend a 

i34 









GAS AND ELECTRIC SHADES 



better finish the filigree shade may be lined with pink or 
orange-colored China silk. 


An Electric-light Screen 

In homes where electric lights are used it is often de¬ 
sirable to partly hide or subdue the harsh light from the 

i35 











































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

bright filament within the bulb. A ground-glass bulb an¬ 
swers the purely utilitarian purpose, but there is no reason 
why the screen should not be decorative also. 

In Fig. 4 an attractive design is shown. Four or five 
triangular wire frames are made and filled with wire or¬ 
naments, as shown at Fig. 4 A, and they are caught to¬ 
gether at the sides so that they will form a cap, or hood, 
over the bulb. A band of thin sheet-lead is run around 
the edge, and to it the glass-bead fringe is sewed fast 
through small holes that may be punched in the metal 
with a fine awl. 

The cap is lined with silk, and the beads should corre¬ 
spond with it in color. 


A Bell-shaped Shade 

In Fig. 5 a bell-shaped shade is illustrated. It is made up 
of five sections, as described for the gas-shade in Fig. 1. 

The ornament may be embroidered or painted with water- 
colors, or the sides may be left plain. A line of short glass- 
bead fringe around the bottom will add to the appearance 
of the shade. 

A Pear-shaped Shade 

In Fig. 6 the cap is cut from thin sheet-lead. The four 
or five separate parts are caught together at the edges with 
fine wire drawn through small holes, and all the metal-work 
is painted black. 

Long glass-bead fringe is attached to the lower edge of 
the cap, and the ends are caught together at the bottom. 

136 








GAS AND ELECTRIC SHADES 


A Dome-shaped Shade 

For a dining-room, where a cluster of lights is used, a 
good idea for a dome-shaped shade is shown in Fig. 7. 

This is made from a silk parasol lined with white. In 
order that the ribs may hold it in shape, saw off the stick 
just below the catch and pass the electric-light wire through 
the silk at the middle of the top. 

A number of panels are made of the same width as the 
distance between the ribs; they are caught to each other 
and to the end of each steel rib with fine wire. The panels 
are made of wire and covered with thin China silk, which 
is ornamented with garlands and ribbons, either embroid¬ 
ered or painted on, as shown in the drawing. Glass-bead 
fringe should depend from the lower edge of these panels, 
and it should match in color the silk of the parasol and the 
panels. 

Another Dining-room Shade 

Another idea for a dining-room fixture is shown in Fig. 8. 

It consists of two wire hoops held about six inches apart, 
the edge of a band of embroidered silk being caught over 
each hoop. These hoops are suspended from a circular 
disk of wood, which in turn is supported by means of the 
flexible wire that conducts current for the light. The bulbs 
are enclosed in frosted glass globes, three or four of which are 
suspended in a cluster at the centre of the hoop. A long silk 
or a glass-bead fringe ornaments the lower edge of the band. 

Another way of arranging this fixture is to carry the globes 
to the inside of the band. From four to seven of them may 

i37 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

hang just inside the band, which, in that case, may be made 
seven or eight inches wide instead of six inches. 

The globes should be of a size to accommodate eight- 
candle-power lights. 

In making any of these shades is would be well to cut the 
forms from card-board, and paste them together to form a 
pattern from which to shape the metal parts. 

A Canopy 

In Fig. 9 a canopy of thin metal strips and silk is shown. 

The strips are cut from thin stove-pipe iron, brass, or 
copper. The soft metal is preferable to the hard, or spring, 
brass, as it can be more easily bent and it will keep the 
shape better. A paper plan may be drawn of one section, 
and the small scrolls fitted over it, then banded together 
with fine wire. The bottom of this canopy is round, but the 
six sides are slightly flattened at the middle, half-way be¬ 
tween the top and bottom. 

The inside of the canopy is lined with light silk, and 
silk or glass-bead fringe is attached to the lower edge. 

A Panel Shade 

Fig. 10 shows a simple shade made of four panels com¬ 
posed of covered wire and thin silk. The ornamental de¬ 
sign may be embroidered, or painted or cut from colored 
silk and sewed on. 

This shade may be suspended from the socket by means 
of silk cords or wires, and the open spaces at the top will 
permit some light to glow above the shade. 

138 








Chapter X 


RELIEF ETCHING 

I N this era of practical craftsmanship there is a field for 
any unique art that savors of originality and which will 
help to beautify the home and its furnishings. 

Relief etching is one of these arts, and is a very old one, 
having been employed by the workers on King Solomon’s 
temple, and perhaps in earlier historical buildings. That 
was before the time of chemical treatment, however, and 
when the beautiful effects were obtained by laborious hand¬ 
work, a modification of which is handed down in the Turkish, 
Russian, and Oriental hand-etched brasses and silver goods. 

Modem science and chemistry have superseded the old 
method, and many beautiful pieces of relief etching are 
produced by the acid, process, which is much more beauti¬ 
ful in some respects than the tool-work. The process is 
very simple, and any boy can become master of the art in 
a short time and at a very moderate cost. 

The equipment necessary to the work will be a tray for 
the acid bath, a small can of asphaltum varnish, three or 
four camel’s-hair brushes of assorted sizes, a bottle of nitric 
acid, and some pieces of sheet brass or copper less than 
one-eighth of an inch in thickness. 


_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

For the acid bath a photographer’s porcelain or hard- 
rubber developing - tray will be just the thing, but if not 
available a good pine or white-wood tray can be made with 
sides two inches high. 

To protect the wood from the action of the acid, the tray 
should be treated to several successive coats of asphaltum 
varnish—one each day until the wood is thoroughly coated 
and the joints well filled. The wood should be half or three- 
quarters of an inch thick, and screws should be used at the 
joints and laps. A tray of this description can be made 
at home, and when finished it should appear as shown in 
Fig. i. If the varnish is too thick when applying it, a little 
turpentine will thin it properly. 

Small, fiat subjects are best to begin with, such as hinge- 
plates, panels, escutcheons, or tablets. For a drawer panel, 
Fig. 2 shows an attractive and simple design that may be 
drawn on the metal with pen and ink. If the ink creeps, 
the surface of the metal may be roughened slightly with 
fine emery cloth. 

With the asphaltum varnish the design is then filled in so 
it will appear as shown in Fig. 3 and allowed to dry, when, as 
a precautionary measure, another coat should be given over 
the blackened surface, to avoid the possibility of the acid 
biting through the thin places, or where the varnish has 
missed the metal. The back and edge of the metal is coated 
also, to prevent the acid from eating into it. 

All the surfaces of the metal not covered with the var¬ 
nish will be eaten or etched away and left with a granu¬ 
lar surface resembling fine sand-paper, while the painted 
or protected parts will be left intact and with a smooth 

140 










RELIEF ETCHING 


surface like the original face of the plate, as shown in 

Fig. 4. 

The Technique of the Process 

With an old woollen cloth dipped in turpentine, the sur¬ 
face of the plate may be rubbed, after first washing off the 
acid. The black removed from the ornament will tint the 
granulated surface of the background and lend relief to the 
bright surface of the ornament. 

Almost any objects in metal, such as door-hinges, knobs, 
fireplace hoods, name-plates, vases, candlesticks, panels, and 
tablets, can be decorated by this process, and if artistically 
done the results will be very effective. 

Sheet brass and copper may be purchased at large hard¬ 
ware stores or supply houses for thirty cents a pound, and 
the sheets or panels can be cut there with the shears to the 
exact size required. For the average work, metal not more 
than one-sixteenth of an inch thick will be found easy to 
handle; but for large panels or name-plate, pieces about one- 
eighth of an inch thick are preferable. 

If the design shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 is too elaborate 
for the beginners, some simple outline may be drawn, per¬ 
haps a flower design, copied from some piece of embroidery 
work, or a figure design from a wall-paper, carpet, or dress- 
goods pattern. The metal should be left to dry for at least 
an hour after being painted with the varnish before it is 
placed in the acid bath. 

The etching is done by placing the plate, face up, on the 
bottom of the tray and covering it with acid. The ground¬ 
work or unpainted portions of the metal may be bitten to 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


any depth, but it is not desirable to cut away too much, as 
it weakens the plate and cuts under the ornament, unless 
it is carefully stopped out all around the edges of the de¬ 
sign ; and that is too much of an undertaking for the young 




THE DRAWING 





THE ETCHING 




craftsman, since it requires a great deal of time and careful 
work. 

A little practice will determine just when the plate should 
be removed from the solution, either for examination or 
final cleaning. Soft brass or copper corrodes much faster 
than hard metal, which takes about three times longer, and 

142 


/ 























RELIEF ETCHING 


the process of corrosion will require from twenty minutes 
to an hour, according to the temper of the metal and the 
strength of the acid solution. 


The Acid Solution 

To prepare the acid solution obtain a large, clear glass 
bottle and fill it quarter full of pure water; into this slowly 
pour an equal quantity of nitric acid, taking great care not 
to spill any of the acid, as it acts instantly and will eat a 
hole in any cloth it falls upon or spatters over. Wear old 
clothes and a canvas apron when mixing or handling the 
acid, and never be in a hurry to get results quickly by the 
reckless use of the biting fluid. If perchance the acid should 
touch the clothing, apply a few drops of ammonia to the 
spot immediately, to neutralize the acid and stop its action. 
The spot should then be sponged with clear water and no 
stain will be perceptible. 

As the acid is added to the water (never add the water 
to the acid), shake it occasionally to thoroughly mix it, and 
let the mixture stand for a while to cool; then place a rub¬ 
ber cork in the bottle, label it Nitric Acid Solution—POISON, 
and place it beyond the reach of small children. 

A solution that has been used should be poured from the 
tray into another bottle, to be used again by adding a small 
quantity of fresh solution. An old solution does not act 
as quickly as a new one, but for soft metal plates it is pref¬ 
erable, as it does not require such careful watching. The 
fumes of the acid, when at work, are disagreeable, so if 
possible it is well to carry out this part of the process in the 

M3 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


open air. After the plate is immersed in the acid, do not 
handle it with the unprotected fingers. 

Rubber gloves may be used for this purpose, but if a pair 
cannot be had the plate may be raised from the tray bot¬ 
tom by means of a small, sharp-pointed stick, and it should 
then be grasped with a pair of pliers and immersed in water 
to stop the action of the acid. A plate may be repeatedly 
removed from the bath to watch the progress of the etching, 
but in doing so it must be handled with care, in the manner 
just described. 

When the ground is etched deep enough, remove the plate 
from the acid and give it a thorough washing in clean 
water; then with a soft cloth dipped in turpentine rub 
off the entire surface of the plate. The turpentine will dis¬ 
solve the varnish and leave a film of it on the granular sur¬ 
face of the metal eaten by the acid. As a result, the ground 
will be darkened or oxidized, while the parts originally pro¬ 
tected by the varnish will be bright and smooth. The high 
parts can be brightened still more with metal polish, or they 
may be buffed and lacquered by a metal finisher. 


Some Typical Designs 

In Fig. 5 the face of a door-knob is shown in its etched 
state, the pattern being drawn in varnish, as described. 

In Fig. 6 the side of the knob in Fig. 5 is shown; that is, 
if it should have such a fiat band all around. Plain brass 
knobs may be purchased at a hardware store, and if they 
are lacquered the coating should be removed with alcohol 

144 




_RELIEF ETCHING___ 

before the etching is done, as otherwise the acid would not 
eat through the lacquer for some time. 

For an acid bath in which an object this shape is to be 
etched, a yellow earthenware bowl may be used, or a low 
jar with a wide neck will answer very well. The knob 
should be suspended in the acid by means of a piece of 
waxed string tied about the shank. 

Hinges on cabinet doors may be greatly improved by 
making brass straps for them, which should be applied to 
the wood so that they fit closely against the sides of the 
hinges. 



Designs for hinge-straps are shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and 
Fig. 9 is a brass vase on the outside of which a floral design 
has been etched. 

Another design for the face of an oval brass door-knob is 
shown in Fig. 10. This is a simple pattern to draw on a 
knob with asphaltum varnish, and its plain but bold orna¬ 
ment is quite as pleasing to the eye as a more intricate 
pattern would be. 

A design for a short, high hinge-plate is shown at Fig. 11, 
and at Fig. 12 a long, narrow hinge-plate or hasp-strap is 
depicted. Many other shapes of hasps and the patterns 

10 145 
























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



Tie-. 13 



to ornament them may be designed by the boy with some 
artistic ability, and he may be able to improve upon these 
suggestions. 

When making hinge-straps, escutcheons, or any articles 

146 



































_ RELIEF ETCHING_ 

from brass plates or flat brass and copper, the edges should 
be shaped with a cold-chisel and mallet on the upturned face 
of an old flat-iron. The uneven or ragged edges may be 
trimmed off with a file and finished with emery cloth. 

An idea for a name-plate is shown in Fig. 13. This is 
seven inches long and three inches wide. It is appropriate 
for a front door or the door of a boy’s room, changing the 
name, of course, to that of the proper person. 

At the left of the drawing the finished plate is shown, 
while at the other side the blackened letters and marginal 
line is depicted, illustrating how the plate will look before 
it is etched. Or this last may be the appearance of the 
plate after it is etched and before the varnish has been re¬ 
moved with turpentine and a cloth. 


















Part III 


HOUSEHOLD ARTS 







Chapter XI 


CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

T HE boy on whom nature has bestowed the natural 
talent and liking for art-work will find clay-modelling 
a fascinating and pleasing branch to follow. 

To become a perfect modeller, and finally a sculptor, 
requires years of patience and perseverance, but to copy 
simple objects in clay is not a difficult matter, and with 
some clay, a few tools, and the skeletons, or supports, the 
amateur should not meet with any great obstacle if the 
following descriptions and instructions are accepted and 
practised. 

Very few tools are necessary at the beginning, and Nos. 
i, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, io, and ii, shown in Fig. 5, are a full 
complement for any beginner. The first four are wire tools, 
made of spring-steel or brass wire, about which fine wire is 
wrapped. The ends of the wires are securely bound to the 
end of a round wooden handle, and sometimes, for conven¬ 
ience, two ends are made fast to a single handle. These tools 
are called “ double-enders,” and are used in roughing out the 
clay in the first stages of the work. No. 5 is a boxwood tool 
with one serrated edge, and is used for finishing. The tools 
shown in Nos. 6 and 7 are of steel, and are of use on plaster, 

151 



Fig. 5 


THE TOOLS 





















































CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 


where others would not be sufficiently durable. Nos. 8, 9, 10, 
and 11 are boxwood tools, a wire loop being fastened in the 
end of No. 9. Any of these tools can be purchased at an 
art-material store for a few cents each, except the steel 
tools, which are more expensive. 

A stand, or pedestal, will be necessary on which to place 
the clay model, unless perhaps it should be a medallion, 
which may be worked over on a table. 

Fig. 6 is a stand that can be made by any boy from a few 
pieces of pine tw T o inches square and a top board one and a 
half inches in thickness. It is arranged with a central shaft 
that may be raised or lowered, and to the top of which a 
platform is securely attached. 

The movable shaft should have some holes bored through 
it from side to side, through which a small iron pin may be 
adjusted to hold the platform at a desired height. Clay 
can be purchased at the art stores by the pound, or in the 
country a very good quality of light, slate-colored clay may 
sometimes be found along the edges of brooks or in swampy 
places where running water has washed away the dirt and 
gravel, leaving a clear deposit of clay of the consistency of 
putty. 

Supports which the clay models are built upon can be 
made of wood and wire, as the requirements necessitate. 
That for the head is shown in Fig. 1. Nearly every clay 
model of any size will need some support, as clay is heavy 
and settles, and if not properly supported will soon become 
distorted and the composition spoiled. You will also need 
some old soft cloths that can be applied wet to the clay, a 
pair of calipers, and a small trowel or spatula. 

*53 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


The Technique of the Art 


To model well the art of drawing is indispensable. The art 
of wood-carving is also a valuable one to the clay-modeller, 
but care must be taken when making any casts of wood¬ 
carving to use glue moulds; otherwise the carving would be¬ 



come firmly embedded in a piaster mould, due to the under¬ 
cut in the carved ornament. To begin with, choose some 
simple object to copy, such as a vase or some small orna¬ 
ment; then, when a satisfactory result has been obtained, 

i54 












































CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 


select something a trifle more difficult, such as a hand or 
foot. 

When copying a head, obtain a bust support on which to 
work the clay. A very simple and strong one can be made 
from a piece of board, two sticks, and a short piece of pipe 
wired-to the top end of the upright stick (Fig. i). 

To carry out the proportions of a bust similar to Fig. 4, 
the clay should be packed about the support much af¬ 
ter the manner shown in Fig. 2. This will support the 
clay. 

With a lump of clay and the fingers form the general out¬ 
line, as shown in Fig. 2, for the head; then, w T ith the wire 
tools, begin to work away the clay in places, so as to follow 
the lines of the model. With the calipers measurements 
may be taken from the plaster head and used advantageous¬ 
ly in the building up of the clay model. Turn the plaster 
model and clay copy occasionally, so that all sides may be 
presented and closely followed in line and detail. Fig. 3 
shows the next stage, and Fig. 4 the completed head. 

Modelling differs from drawing and painting in that every 
side of the model is visible, while only the face of the paint¬ 
ing is presented to the eye, the impression of form and out¬ 
line being worked out on a flat surface. 

Having successfully mastered the head, next attempt a 
foot from a plaster cast. Afterwards a more elaborate sub¬ 
ject, such as a whole figure, can be tried. 

With the wire modelling-tools and the fingers begin to 
work away the clay to obtain the general outline and form; 
continue this in a rough manner, until a perfect composition 
is obtained that compares favorably with the original model; 

155 





_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

the finishing-touches may then be applied, and the detail 
worked up more carefully. 

Never complete one part and leave the remaining ones 
until later; always work up the model uniformly, adding 




a little here and there, or taking away, as may be necessary, 
and so developing the whole composition gradually. 

Moisten the clay occasionally with water sprayed on 
with a small watering-pot or a greenhouse sprinkler, to 

i5 6 



































CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 


keep it soft and ductile. When not being worked upon it 
should be covered with wet cloths, to keep it moist. 

As the work progresses the clay may be allowed to harden 
and consolidate, but not to dry; if allowed to dry entirely 
the model may be considered ruined, as the shrinkage of the 
clay around the support results in fissures and fractures that 
cannot be repaired. 

By the time the amateur has acquired the knowledge to 
attempt a full-size figure he will be able to invent the de¬ 
vices to support it. 

The support, or skeleton, must of course be adapted to 
line with the pose of the figure, and should be of pipe and 
heavy wire or rods securely anchored to the base-plate. 

The composition of flowers, fruit, foliage, animal life, and 
landscape is an inexhaustible one, and some beautiful effects 
can be had in flat-work. Good examples of this character 
of work may be found on all sides, and to the genius the field 
of modelling is a broad one—without limit. 

Glue and Gelatine Moulds 

When casting from hands, feet, or ornaments where under¬ 
cut predominates, the most successful mode is in the use of 
gelatine or glue. 

To cast a head similar to the one shown in Fig. 4 it will 
be necessary to make a box frame large enough to hold the 
head. 

The cast is to be well oiled, and down the front and back, 
running around under and back over the base block, strong 
linen threads are to be stuck on with oil. Warm glue or 

iS7 




JNDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS__ 

gelatine is then poured in the box and left to chill and 
solidify. 

When sufficiently cold the frame may be removed, leav¬ 
ing the solid block of glue like hard jelly; then the ends of 
the threads are to be grasped and torn through the gelatine, 
thus separating it in two or three parts. The plaster head 
may then be removed, and the mould put together again 
and surrounded by the frame to hold it in place. 

To make a plaster head this plaster of Paris may be poured 
into the mould and left for a while, when, on removing the 
frame and taking the glue mould away, a perfect repro¬ 
duction of the original head will be found. 

Hollow Casting 

When very large objects that would require a great deal 
of plaster are cast, they are generally made hollow in the 
following manner: 

Obtain the glue mould by the process described, and into 
it pour a quantity of thin plaster, having first oiled the sur¬ 
faces that come in contact with it. Turn the mould about 
and upside down, so that the plaster will enter every part 
and adhere to the glue form. Allow it to “set,” and again 
pour some plaster into the mould. This will adhere to the 
first coating, and after it has set repeat the operation several 
times, until a deposit, or coating, an inch or more in thickness 
has been made. 

The glue mould on being removed w T ill reveal a perfect 
plaster-casting that, instead of being solid, is hollow, and 
in consequence is much lighter. 

158 











CLAY-MODELLING AND PL ASTER - CASTING 


Modelling a Foot 

To model a foot from a plaster cast, as shown at Fig. 7, 
it will be necessary to lay or putty up the form in the rough, 
as suggested for the bust in Fig. 2. Now rough out the 
form with the modelling-tools, so that it will appear as 
shown in Fig. 8. A frame, or support, should be made from 
a block and a stout piece of wire, as shown at Fig. 9, so that 
the mass of clay, particularly that at the back of the foot, 
will not settle. 

For full-length figures it is always necessary to construct 
a frame after a rough front and profile drawing has been 



made. With this drawing in sight, it will then be a com¬ 
paratively simple matter to construct a wire or iron pipe 
frame such as that pictured in Fig. 10. 

i59 






































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


Bas-relief Modelling 

Bas-relief work is another interesting department of 
clay-modelling. This is one-sided in its effect, and the full, 
rounded appearance of the statue or bust is reduced to a 
more flattened form with lower relief. A familiar example 
of bas-relief is the head on a silver dollar, or the raised orna¬ 
ment on silverware and pottery. Let us now begin with 
the group of pears and leaves illustrated in Fig. n. 

A small block or piece of wood is treated to a coat of 
shellac or paint; then the clay is puttied on to roughly form 
the parts in the group. With the modelling-tools the out¬ 
line and form is gradually worked out; then the surfaces 
are smoothed down, and the few little artistic touches given 
here and there to lend life and character. 

Bas-reliefs can, of course, be cast any size, and from the 
original plaster mould many duplicates in composition or 
papier-mache may be made. 

Garlands, festoons, sunbursts, panel ornaments, and car- 
touches can be modelled in clay, and afterwards cast for 
architectural features in interior decoration. A good ex¬ 
ample of the garland is shown in Fig. 12. This is made up 
of flowers and ribbons, and with careful and patient work 
the boy sculptor should be able to obtain results quite as 
pleasing in detail as that illustrated. 

A Medallion Head 

After some experience in casting ornaments in bas-relief 
has been obtained, it would be well to try a head or bust. 

160 






CLAY-MODELLING AND PL ASTER-CASTING 


A simple method of doing this is to take an ordinary school 
slate and make the outline of a head on it. Within this 
outline you build up roughly with your finger and thumb 
a cake of clay about half an inch in thickness; then with 




it 161 



























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

your modelling instruments work it up as accurately as your 
artistic skill will permit (see Fig. 13). 

When in the progress of your work you find it necessary 
to leave it for a short time, be careful to cover it over with 
a wet cloth, and if for a long time, put two wet cloths over 
it, and cover them in turn with a sheet of newspaper. This 
is necessary to keep the clay from getting hard and unfit 
for working. If at any time you find the clay getting too 
stiff, sprinkle it with water shaken from a whisk-broom. 
To make the moulds of your clay model you will require a 
little plaster of Paris, some lard oil, and some soap, and then 
your outfit is complete. 

When your clay medallion is finished, build a wall of clay 
around it of about an inch and a quarter in height, as shown 
in Fig. 13; then get a teacupful of lard or olive oil, and 
add to it a good teaspoonful of any kind of soap scraped 
fine. Put this on the stove and stir until it is thoroughly 
mixed; then with a soft camcl’s-hair brush lay a slight coat 
over your entire work. 

You must now mix your plaster. If the surface of your 
medallion is, say, one foot by six inches, you will require 
about two pounds of plaster to about a quart of water. 
Sprinkle the plaster into the water, and then watch it until 
bubbles have ceased to come to the surface. When no 
more bubbles appear, stir it up well with a stick. The mixt¬ 
ure should be about the consistency of thick cream. The 
exact proportions you must find out by experiment. This 
plaster cream you pour quickly over your medallion, blow¬ 
ing gently with your mouth on the fluid as it spreads itself 
over the face of your work; this is to prevent the formation 

162 









CLAY-MODELLING AND PL ASTER-CASTING 


of bubbles. In a short time the plaster will become hard; 
you then remove your clay wall, and lift the plaster mould, 
or matrix, from the clay. This you do by passing a pen¬ 
knife all round between the plaster and the slate, after which 
it lifts easily. You have now a perfect plaster mould. If 
you find any small particles of clay adhering to it, w T ash them 
off with a soft camel’s-hair brush and water. 

You now want to get a plaster cast from your matrix. 
To do this you lay a coat of the soap and oil mixture with 
a camel’s-hair brush all over the face of the mould, and 
then pour in the plaster just as you did before, taking the 
same precautions to blow upon the plaster and to build a 
wall of clay around the mould. 

You let this stand for half an hour until it is perfectly 
set, when you can remove your casting by passing a thin- 
bladed knife all round between the matrix and the casting. 
If it does not then lift easily, plunge the whole thing in 
water for an instant, after which you will have no difficulty 
in separating the two parts. 

You now have a plaster cast of your original work, which 
you can touch up and finish off with sand-paper, or with 
the blade of a penknife if necessary. 

You can, of course, make as many casts as you please from 
your mould, and thus have very pretty little souvenirs to 
present to your friends. 

Coin and Metal Casts 

This same procedure may be employed when making 
moulds and casts from coins, medals, and medallions. A 

163 








MEDALLION AND PLAIN CASTING? 



















































CLAY-MODELLING AND PL ASTER-CASTING 


narrow frame is made of wood, and at the middle of this a 
medal is placed on the flat oiled surface of a board, a slate, 
or a piece of marble, as shown at Fig. 14. The face of the 
object is now prepared with the oil, and the plaster is poured 
as previously described. If any number of reproductions 
are to be cast from the mould, it would be well to give it 
one or two coats of thin shellac; then oil it before each im¬ 
pression is made. 

Plaster-casting in General 

It is not a difficult matter to reproduce in plaster almost 
any object that has no undercut or parts that will not easily 
detach from a mould. When making them, the first thing 
to do is to get a piece of board about a foot square; that is 
to work on, so as not to soil the table. Then you want a 
lump of clay about as big as a football, five or six pounds 
of plaster of Paris—it only costs three cents a pound—and 
a half-dozen wooden pegs. You also want a cup of warm 
melted lard, or Castile soap dissolved in hot water, to rub 
over what you are going to copy, so as to prevent the plaster 
sticking to it. 

Now, suppose it is an egg you want to copy. You rub it 
all over with your melted lard, and lay it down on the piece 
of board. Pack clay around it as high up as the middle of 
the egg, and as far out as half an inch from the widest part. 
You must be particular about not putting clay higher than 
the middle, because, if you get the clay too high, you can’t 
get the egg out without breaking the mould. 

When you have the clay around the lower half of the 

165 







_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS__ 

model, smooth and level it, and push two pegs in opposite 
corners, as shown in Fig. 15. Now around the whole thing 
make a box or case of clay, with sides rising half an inch 
higher than the model (Fig. 16). Mix plaster of Paris and 
water together till you have it like molasses on a warm day; 
pour that into the clay box, so that the model is covered, 
and the mixture even with the top of the box. 

The plaster will set, or become hard, in a little while, and 
you then tear the box away, and take out the model and 
plaster together, leaving the first clay mould. Next put 
the plaster mould and model in a clay box just as you did 
before, and pour plaster over it, first greasing the model and 
upper surface of the mould. Before pouring on the plaster, 
roll a small piece of clay in your fingers, and put it on the 
model (Fig. 17), so that when you pour plaster over it, a 
hole will be left in it through which you may pour plaster 
for the final cast. 

For the second time tear away the clay box, and gently 
separate the two parts of plaster of Paris; take the model 
out, and you will have two blocks of plaster, which, when 
brought together, will contain an exact mould of the model 
(Fig. 18), and one block will have an opening in it through 
which you can pour plaster. Before pouring in the plaster, 
however, be sure to grease the insides of the mould. Then 
put the parts together, using the pegs and holes as guides 
to a proper fitting, and tie firmly with a piece of twine. 
Now pour the plaster in, and then shake the mould gently 
in order to make the mixture settle in all the smaller crevices. 

Of course when you separate the parts of the mould now 
you will have a perfect cast of your model. It will have a 

166 













PLASTER-CASTING in general 

































































































_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

thin ridge running around it where the mould was joined, 
but that is easily rubbed off with sand-paper. 

In a mould made from a hand you proceed in about the 
same way. The great thing is to find the dividing line in the 
model; that is, the place where the parts of the mould ought 
to join. In the egg it is easy enough, for you can divide 
it into two equal parts; but you take a hand, and you have 
to make the line around each finger just where it is broadest 
(Fig. 19), and build the clay up to that line. The wrist-hole 
in a hand-mould makes a good hole to pour the plaster in 
(Fig. 20), and, after all, a hand is easy to make. 

These simple directions should make it easy for the 
amateur modeller to acquire the first principles of the art. 
There are several good compositions in which the young 
craftsman can work besides plaster of Paris, such as “Kiln 
Cement,” “ Carton-pierre,” “ Papier-mache,” “ Plaster Com¬ 
pounds,” “Artificial Marble,” and “Concrete.” 


How to Find and Mount Signets 

There is nothing prettier or more attractive, hanging 
on the walls of one’s parlor or chamber, than a group of 
signet impressions in sealing-wax of various colors, ar¬ 
tistically arranged and handsomely mounted; while the 
pleasure to be derived in seeking them is quite as keen as 
that which the coin or stamp hunter enjoys, without the 
expense attached to them, for our seals cost comparatively 
nothing. The outfit is simple, consisting of a dozen sticks 
of sealing-wax in different colors—black, brown, red, gold, 
white, and green, making a charming combination with any 

168 







CLAY-MODELLING AND PL A STER-CASTING 


other shades that take the fancy of the collector. A light 
wooden or strong pasteboard box to carry the articles, a 
box of matches, a white taper (cut in half for conven¬ 
ience’ sake), and, later on, a piece of stiff white card-board 
(16x22, 22x28 being good sizes) to mount them on. 

Keep in the bottom of the box containing the wax a 
dozen or more pieces of thick, white, unruled writing-paper 
cut into ovals, circular, oblong, and square shapes, varying 
in size from one-half inch in width to two inches in length. 
This is all that is required. Now for our hunt. As you 
meet friends and acquaintances, notice their rings and watch- 
charms. When any are discovered with a figure, crest, 
handsome monogram, or initial on it, borrow it, and make 
your impression. This is accomplished by laying a piece of 
your writing-paper, at least half an inch larger than the seal 
to be used, on some smooth surface like a table. Then take 
a stick of wax between the thumb and forefinger of the right 
hand; with the left hand a match or taper, and bring them 
together just on the paper where the wax melts sufficiently 
to drop freely. Rub the end of the sealing-wax quickly over 
the middle of the paper. Then moistening the seal with the 
tongue to prevent the stone adhering to the burning wax, 
press it firmly into the hot bed prepared for it, a second or 
so, being careful to lift it straight up when taken off, thus 
securing a clean edge. If this is properly done a fine im¬ 
pression of your subject is secured. Repeat this operation 
several times, taking different-colored wax for duplicates, 
which will enable you to make exchange with other collec¬ 
tors, who are unable to get these same figures, but have 
others not in your collection. 

169 







Chapter XII 


PYROGRAPHY 

% 

P YROGRAPHY, or fire-etching, is by no means a mod¬ 
ern art, but one that was practised many centuries 
ago both in civilized and barbarous countries. In Europe, 
during the early ages, this work was executed with a poker 
inserted in the fire and heated red hot; but as the iron must 
have cooled quickly, the task of embellishing a panel was 
a tedious and laborious one. 

A knowledge of drawing will be very helpful to the young 
pyrographer, as the object can be sketched in lead-pencil 
and followed with the heated iron or platinum-point. 

Of the various materials that may be used on which to 
etch the ornament, wood and leather have been found the 
most satisfactory, since they retain the deep, rich brown- 
and-black tones given by the heated iron, and yield more 
readily under the tool than other materials. 

If wood is employed, such as oak, birch, maple, holly, and 
cherry, it should be selected with a pretty grain and as free 
from knots as possible; but if leather is used, a good quality 
of oak-tanned sole-leather will give the best results; although 
for light work a pleasing effect can be had by employing a 
stout Su&de and etching on the rough side. 

170 


PYROGRAPHY 


The etching-tools are few and simple, and are shown in 
the illustrations. 

Fig. i depicts a set of irons that can be made by a boy 
from pieces of round iron a quarter of an inch in diameter 



D Fig. 1 

f. 



Fig. 2 


and having the points fashioned with a file. The ends of 
the irons can be inserted in file-handles that may be pur¬ 
chased at a hardware store for a few cents each. 

A is a sharp-pointed iron for outlining; B is a round- 
pointed one for broader work; C is a stub for bold work, 
and measures three-eighths of an inch in diameter; D is a 

171 
















































_ INDOOR BOOKJFOR BOYS_ 

curved background tool, and is used for burning in the 
grounds, or shading, in order to make the design stand out 
boldly. 

With these tools and a spirit-lamp and rest, such as is 
shown in Fig. 2, some very good work can be done; and to 
complete the set a sharp-edged eraser may be added to 
scrape away the wood, if perchance it should have been 
touched by mistake with a hot iron. 

To begin with, it is best to carry out a simple design—to 
decorate a panel, a drawer front, or the sides to a small 
wooden box. The pattern must first be drawn out in full 
size on a piece of smooth brown paper, and then transferred 
to the face of the wood by the use of colored or black trans¬ 
fer-paper, sheets of which can be had at an art or stationery 
store for a few cents each. 

To reproduce the design, lay the transfer-paper face down 
on the wood, and over it the drawing face up; pin it fast, 
and go over all the lines with a lead-pencil, bearing down 
to impress them on the face of the wood. Having gone over 
all the lines, unpin one corner and raise both sheets of paper 
to see that the impression is good. If not, replace the paper 
and redraw the faint or unmarked lines. 

Fig. 3 is a simple and attractive design for the embellish¬ 
ment of a panel, of a small drawer, or as one of the sides to 
a box. 

If the tools shown in Fig. 1 are used, fill the spirit-lamp 
half full of alcohol and light it, then place the pointed iron 
A on the rest in such a position that the point wall be en¬ 
veloped by the blue flame, where, after remaining a minute, 
it will become red hot. Remove it and trace the lines in the 

172 











__PYROGRAPHY_ 

wood with the hot point until all of them have been gone 
over, and as a result the wood will have the appearance of 
Fig. 4. The iron will necessarily require reheating con¬ 
tinually, and to save time it would be well to have two or 
three irons of each shape, as they cost but a few cents, and 
are easy to make. 

After the outlining has been done, the background should 
be burned in with the curved iron D. Fig. 5 illustrates the 




Fig. 4 


manner in which this may be accomplished; the left side 
is partly finished, and shows the simple and effective mode 

i73 



































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


of lining or “dragging” the ground. The right side is a 
finished ground, where the cross-strokes may be seen with 
an occasional oblique stroke to lend added density. It is 



Fig. 5 

not always possible to complete a ground until the orna¬ 
ment is shaded, and what may seem to be a finished back¬ 
ground before the shading will sometimes afterwards prove 



Fig. 6 

too weak or flat, and will necessarily require going over in 
places to strengthen and darken it. 

Fig. 6 is a piece of finished work where the ornament is 
shaded to give it character, and where also the background 

i74 





































PYROGRAPHY 

has been retouched in som° places to give it a stronger feel¬ 
ing. This illustration is a good example of pyrography, and 
gives the relative tones of high light and shadow. 

Before beginning on an ornamental piece of work, it would 
be well to practise on clear pine or white-wood, and to be¬ 
come dexterous in the use and manipulation of the tools, 
and to find the ones best adapted to certain kinds of work. 
The round-pointed tools B and C, shown in Fig. i, are good 
grounders, and where large work and bold patterns are car¬ 
ried out they will be found of use. 

As some very fine work is possible in fire-etching, the art 
can be applied in many ways to decorate pieces of useful 
and ornamental furniture about the house. 

Charming pictures can be produced on holly and white 
mahogany; designs of fruit and flowers and conventional 
patterns may be applied to panels, tables, screens, frames 
glove and handkerchief boxes; and on maple bedroom furni¬ 
ture designs in pyrography lend a pleasing and artistic ap¬ 
pearance. 

When working on leather do not cut out the form until 
after the work is finished, but pin the material flat on a 
board to hold it firmly while operating with the hot irons. 

The entire design should be drawn on the face of the 
leather with a soft lead-pencil, and afterwards gone over 
with the burning-points. When the work is completed the 
piece of leather should be removed from the board, and the 
outline cut with a sharp penknife or a pair of scissors. 

It may be desirable to varnish and polish some specimens, 
and it is possible to do so by coating the surface with a thin 
spirit varnish or thin furniture polish. This will bring out 

i75 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


the density of the burned lines, and enrich a design that on 
certain woods might seem flat. Too much varnish must be 
avoided, and only a very thin coat will be necessary to ob¬ 
tain the desired result. 

A Platinum-point Outfit 

In preference to the hand-made irons, which must be 
heated each time before using, the modern devotees of the 
fire-etching art use the gasolene lamp and platinum-point 
apparatus. These outfits may be purchased at the art shops 
for a comparatively small sum, but the young craftsman may 
want to make his own apparatus. With the exception of the 
platinum-point and its metal holder, this is quite possible. 

The parts of a gasolene outfit are the bulb, rubber tubing, 
platinum-point and handle, reservoir-bottle, metal union- 
cork, and a spirit-lamp. The latter may be purchased at a 
drug or hardware store for a few cents; but a good-working 
one can be made from a square or round bottle, a cork with 
a hole through it to receive a piece of brass tubing, and a 
piece of round lamp-wicking. (See Fig. 7). 

Heat a piece of wire red hot, and burn a hole through the 
cork large enough to slip in a piece of brass tubing a quarter 
of an inch in diameter. Pass the lamp-wick through the 
tubing, and allow an inch or two of wicking to rest at the 
bottom of the bottle. This lamp should be filled half full 
of alcohol, and it is used to heat the platinum-point at first; 
after that the rush of gasolene vapor will keep the tool red 
hot. The gasolene reservoir is a square bottle with a fairly 
large neck into which is fitted the metal union-cork. If it 

176 







_PYROGRAPHY 

is not possible to purchase this cork, then one can be made 
as shown at B in Fig. 8. 

Prom a solid piece of lead one and a half inches long, three- 
quarters of an inch wide, and one and a quarter inches deep, 




cut a lug, with a knife and file, having two projecting ears 
as shown at C in Fig. 8. The lower part is half an inch in 
diameter and three-quarters of an inch long. With a hot 
iron burn a hole in a cork so that the lower end of the lug 
will fit within it, as shown at D in Fig. 8. With a small 
drill bore a hole in the end of each ear. These holes should 
run through towards the middle of the lug, taking care, 
however, not to bore too far, since the holes must not meet. 
i2 177 









































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

Bore two holes up through the lower part of the lug so that 
each will meet one of the holes bored through the ears, as 
shown by the dotted lines at A in Fig. 8. By this construc¬ 
tion the air forced through a tube connected with one ear 
travels through that ear and down into the bottle; then up 
through the other hole and out at the opposite ear, where 
another tube is attached that leads to the platinum-point. 
The end of an old syringe can be used for the supply bulb, 
and for the pressure bulb there is nothing better than the 
inner bladder of a football, if it can be provided with an 
extra tube so that air may be forced in at one end while 
it is escaping at the other. This rubber balloon can be in¬ 
flated to twice its normal size if care is taken not to blow 
it up too large. As a precaution against its destruction, it 
would be well to make a protective net from cotton string 
with a small mesh. This is easily done by making a wire 
hoop the diameter of the bladder when blown to its safe 
size; then loop cotton string over it, as shown in Fig. 9, 
and tie the knots forming the meshes as shown at the left 
side of the same drawing. Continue the work until a cylin¬ 
drical net is formed about three or four inches longer than 
the size of the inflated bladder. With a draw-string the 
open ends of the net can be drawn together after the bladder 
is placed within it. The outlet of the bladder is connected 
by a rubber tube to one ear of the cork, and another tube 
leads from the opposite ear to the platinum - point and 
holder. 

The holder is simply a piece of brass tubing at one end 
of which a coupling is made fast. This tube is pushed 
through a cork handle, or the covering can be made by burn- 

178 







PYROGRAPHY 


ing holes through corks and slipping them over the tube, 
at the same time using thick shellac to act as a glue and hold 
the corks to each other and to the brass tube. The cork 
covering should be heavier near the point end, because the 
tube becomes hot from the superheated platinum - point. 
This handle should be three-quarters of an inch in diameter, 
and gradually tapered to half an inch at the back, as shown 
at Fig. io. The brass tube should be five inches long and 
the cork handle about four inches in length. Half an inch 
of the tube projects beyond the back, or top, of the handle, 
and over this end a piece of rubber tubing is slipped. A 
complete outfit should contain three points—one sharp, 
one round, and one curved. These can be purchased at al¬ 
most any art store, and should appear as shown in Fig. n, 
A being the sharp point, B the round one, or grounder, and 
C the curved, sharp-ended point that is used for fine work 
and light lines in shading or background. 

A good platinum-point can be bought for one dollar and 
a half; but better ones will cost all the way from two dol¬ 
lars to five. If a boy has points B and C in his outfit, he 
can do some very good work; but should it be possible to 
have one only, then the curved point C should be the choice, 
since with that tool almost everything can be done. 

The principle of the gasolene pyrographic outfit is very 
simple. The reservoir-bottle is filled half full of gasolene, 
or benzine (62°), which can be had at a paint store for 
twenty-five cents a gallon. The union-cork stopper is then 
pushed down, and the platinum-point screwed in place at 
the end of the handle. Light the spirit-lamp and hold the 
platinum-point in the flame until it is cherry-red; then 

179 









_ INDOOR BOOK FO R B OYS_ 

squeeze on the supply-bulb and fill the pressure-bag. The 
air forced through the first section of rubber tubing goes 
down through one hole in the cork, picks up some gasolene 
vapor from the reservoir-bottle, and passes along the second 
section of tubing to the point, where it escapes through a 
very small hole at the side. Directly the vapor reaches the 
flame it ignites, and the hot point is kept in its heated state 
so long as the pressure of the bulb forces the gasolene vapor 
out through the hole. 

Do not bear hard on the wood when working. The heated 
metal will char the wood easily if gentle pressure and several 
strokes are used. Points A and B (Fig. n) can be used on 
all sides and on end, but point C should be used only on its 
curved edge, as shown at A in Fig. 12; never as shown 
at B. 

When both hands are needed for the work of holding the 
material and tool, a convenient foot device can be made, as 
shown in Fig. 13. This is a pressure-jack made from two 
boards, the upper one being cut and hinged, as shown in the 
drawing. The boards are twelve inches long and three 
inches wide, the short end of the top one being attached to 
the bottom plate with glue and screws. The wood should 
be three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch thick, and it 
may be given a coat of shellac or varnish to improve its ap¬ 
pearance. 

If a constant supply of air-pressure can be had without 
the bothersome hand or foot bulbs, it makes it so much 
easier to master the art of pyrography. 

Any ingenious boy who has a foot pump, such as are used 
for bicycle or automobile tires, can get an old boiler from a 

180 










_ PYROGRAPHY _ 

plumber and rig up a pressure-tank such as is shown at Fig. 
14. A small pressure-gauge should be screwed fast on top 
of the boiler, and two outlets with brass cocks should be 
constructed out of one-eighth-inch gas-pipe, the fittings 
being purchased at a gas-fitter’s or a supply house. By 
means of the pump compressed air can be stored in the 
tank, and the pressure will be registered on the gauge. 
Twenty to twenty-five pounds will be quite enough pressure 
for an old boiler, although sixty pounds is the standard to 
which most of them are tested when new. The advantage 
of the two outlet-pipes will be appreciated when working, 
because each can lead to a different sort of point, and this 
will save the time and bother of changing points frequently 
for different parts of the work. 

The Practice of Pyrography 

Basswood, deal, and white-wood are the material most 
commonly employed for this work, since the grain is close 
and the color even. Almost any soft wood, however, can be 
used, and the boy who has mastered the craft of carpentry 
can make his own boxes, frames, stools, chairs, and miscel¬ 
laneous wooden objects, and then embellish them with de¬ 
signs drawn in lead-pencil, the lines of which it will be an 
easy task to follow with the hot platinum-point. 

Small picture-frames can be made from one piece of wood, 
but they are better, and will last longer, if made from two 
pieces. For a small round frame a pretty pattern is shown 
in Fig. 15. This can be made from six to twelve inches in 
diameter, and the frame proper should be from two to four 

181 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

inches wide, having an opening for the picture from two 
to four inches in diameter. The easiest way to make a 
frame is in two pieces, as shown in Fig. 16, the left 
side representing a narrow frame and the right a wider 
one. 

From holly or basswood one-eighth or one-quarter of 
an inch thick cut a disk six inches in diameter, and at the 
middle cut an opening three inches in diameter. Strike 
the circle with a compass; then use a fret-saw to do the 
cutting. From pine or white-wood half an inch in thick¬ 
ness cut a disk five and a half inches in diameter and at the 
middle a hole four inches in diameter. Lay the thin disk 
down on a table, and after applying glue to one surface of 
the smaller but thicker disk place it, glue-side down, on the 
larger disk, taking care to have the grain of the two pieces 
run in opposite directions. See that the disks are adjusted 
so that one is centred directly over the other; then impose 
a piece of board on top of the frame, and put fifteen or twenty 
pounds of flat-irons or other heavy weights on the board to 
press the two wood pieces together. Leave them for several 
hours; then remove the weights and clean off the hard glue 
that may have oozed out from between the disks. Give the 

s 

back of the frame two coats of shellac to prevent the wood 
from absorbing moisture, and it will then be ready for the 
design and the pyrographic ornamentation. By using the 
two pieces of wood, a rabbet is thereby formed for the glass 
and picture. If the frame had been made from one piece 
it would have necessitated the cutting of a rabbet. The 
design of holly leaves and berries is a pretty one, and quite 
simple to draw and burn. 


182 









PYROGRAPHY 


A Few Suggestive Designs 

A long picture-frame with three oval openings is shown in 
Fig. 17. This is made from two pieces of wood, as described 
for Fig. 15, and then embellished with the design and 
pvrographically treated. 

In Fig. 18 an idea for a stool is shown. This little piece 
of furniture can be made of white-wood by the boy who has 





FlG-£0. 




Fig. 19. 


learned to handle tools. The legs are two inches square and 
fifteen inches high. The side-boards are each twelve inches 
long, four inches wide at the ends, and three inches at the 
middle; they are arched or crowned, as shown in the draw¬ 
ing. Blocks of wood are glued and screwed to the inner 
edge of each end, and these in turn are made fast to the 
upper parts of the legs. The top is sixteen inches square, 
with the corners cut out, so that it will fit down on the top 

183 










































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


of the side-rails and between the tops of the legs. Strips of 
wood three-quarters of an inch square should be glued and 
screwed to the under side of the seat at the four sides, and 
these in turn must be made fast to the top inner edges of the 
side-rails. 

Leather-work 

When embellishing leather, select the quality that is best 
adapted to pyrography. It must not be too thin, as the 
hot point would quickly perforate and cut it. Cowhide, 
SuMe, calf, sheepskin, heavy kids, and binding leathers are 
best adapted to this work. Purses, bags, mats, boxes, 
travelling-rolls, and valises are made in leathers that are 
admirably adapted to pyrography, and these should be pur¬ 
chased rather than made, for leather-working is a craft that 
would not interest the average boy. 

An heraldic pattern for a small pigskin or cowhide purse 
is shown in Fig. 19, and Figs. 19, 20, and 21 are designs 
adapted to different kinds of purses, wallets, and bill-books. 
It is, of course, impossible to lay down any specific sizes 
for these patterns, as the sizes of leather goods vary. 

To improve the appearance of floral patterns, it is de¬ 
sirable to tint or stain flowers, leaves, berries, and stems in 
their natural colors. This can be done on the unfinished 
wood, either before or after the outlines and background 
are burned. Oil or aniline stains may be used for this pur¬ 
pose. If a dead finish is desired, the wood can be left 
without further treatment, except for a thin coat of bees¬ 
wax and turpentine. If a glossy finish is preferred, the 
wood must be treated to several thin coats of white 

184 





_PYR OGRAPHY _ 

shellac; then a finishing coat of white dammar-varnish is 
applied and left to dry for several days. The inside of 
boxes should be “grounded” and shellacked, and at the top 
and bottom pads made of card-board, cotton-filling, and 
silk should be glued fast. 









Chapter XIII 


BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA - ILLUSTRATION 

HERE must be many boys who would like to know 



1 the simple methods of binding books, so that they can 
do it without the aid of machinery or costly tools. They are 
probably aware that when the material of a book comes 
from the hand of the printer, it consists of a number of large 
sheets that are commonly twenty inches long and fifteen 
broad. Eight pages-of the book are printed on each side 
of a sheet in such a peculiar order that when the sheet is 
properly folded the pages will be correctly arranged by the 
numbering. To see how this is, take a sheet of paper that 
measures fifteen inches by twenty. With a ruler and pencil 
draw lines across the sheet so as to divide it into eight equal 
parts. Each of these parts is a page. Number them as 
shown in Fig. i. Turn them over and number the pages 
on the other side as shown in Fig. 2. Now to fold the sheet, 
lay it on the table with the side up that has on it 2, 15, etc.; 
bring page 3 over upon page 2, creasing the sheet in the 
middle. Then the four pages lying upward will be num¬ 
bered 4, 13, 12, 5. Bring page 5 over on page 4, and crease 
in the middle again. Pages 8 and 9 will now lie upward. 
Fold 9 over on 8, and the sheet will be folded as it should be, 


t86 


BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


and is now called a signature. In a book there may be 
twenty or thirty, or more such signatures, which are num¬ 
bered so that the binder will know in what order to place 
them. These numbers are placed at the bottom of the first 
page in each signature. 


The Tools 

Before beginning the work of binding, a few preparations 
must be made, and first of all a press is indispensable. This 
is very easily made. Take two pieces of board, of some 
close-grained hard-wood, about one and a quarter inches 
thick and a little larger than any book you are likely to 
undertake to bind. Eighteen by twenty inches will be 
found the most useful size. Lay your boards together, and 
with an inch auger bore through both three holes at each 
end of the boards about an inch back from the edge. Now 
make six pegs of hard-wood—white oak is excellent—about 
six inches long, and fit them tightly into one of your two 
boards, on one side of it; that is, the pegs should all stand 
out at one side. (Fig. 4.) When this is done, carefully 
work down the size of the pegs until they will pass freely 
through the holes in the other board, so that the two 
boards may be separated or brought close together as re¬ 
quired. The loose or movable board (Fig. 5) should be 
fitted with a backstay or two, so that it will stand edgewise 
on a table, and the two boards together will thus form a sort 
of upright press or vise. 

In order to furnish your press with power, you must now 
pass four large iron “ wood-screws ” loosely through the blank 








Fig. 5 


THE PRACTICE OF BOOKBINDING 





















































BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


outer edge of the movable board into holes in the correspond¬ 
ing edge of the other board, where they should “bite.” 
When a book is put into the press it is a very easy matter 
to tighten the screws so as to hold it firmly. This simple, 
inexpensive, and easily made press may be improved in 
various ways; screws with winged nuts may be used, etc., 
but in its simplest form it will be found sufficient for all the 
demands the amateur binder is likely to make on it. 

Next in importance to the press is the hammer, and this 
is the only tool you will be likely to have to buy. It should 
be heavy, weighing at least twelve or fourteen pounds, and 
should be rounded at the ends. This is used for beating 
and compressing the books, shaping their backs, etc. If 
you live near a foundry it is quite easy to make a model of 
wood or clay and have a hammer cast. In any case, it is 
not an expensive tool—any blacksmith can hammer one 
out in a short time. 

The glue-pot may be almost any little crockery dish, but 
it should never be put on the stove. If you have no regular 
glue-pot, you can melt your glue in an old cup placed in a 
saucepan of boiling water. 

Besides the press, hammer, and glue-pot, you must have 
a pair of scissors and a few simple but sharp-cutting tools. 
When these things are all prepared you are ready to bind 
your book. 

The Practice of the Art 

After removing everything that is not to be included in 
your volume, place the “signatures” or parts together in 
regular order, striking the backs gently on the table or bench 

189 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

to get them even. Then place them on a block and beat 
with the hammer so as to flatten and compress them as 
much as possible. Then they should be put very carefully 
into the press and the screws tightened firmly, so as to hold 
the volume steady. The back should project about one 
inch above the edge of the press. Now, with a common 
handsaw, cut four slits across the back at regular intervals, 
not deeper than the teeth of the saw. Take the book from 
the press, and into each of these slits or nicks lay a piece of 
stout cord or twine (not too thick), and to these cords all 
the signatures forming the book must be fastened with pack¬ 
thread. A necessary aid to this sewing process is a small 
square frame of light wood. The cords must be tied to this 
below and above, as shown at Fig. 3, and the lower part of 
the frame must be sufficiently broad and flat for the book 
to lie upon it. After the cords are laid into or passed through 
their respective nicks, you must open the leaves regularly 
and find the middle of each signature, and then pass, with 
a needle, the pack-thread along the inside, but twisting it 
around each cord in succession as you go along, making it 
fast at the end with a hitch or knot. This is much easier 
than it sounds, and with a little practice may be done very 
quickly. When you have finished the sewing cut away the 
cords, leaving an inch and a half or so on each side, which is 
left to make the attachment to the cover. This completes 
the first stage of the binding. 

The book must now be replaced in the press, and its back 
covered with a good coat of glue melted in the manner al¬ 
ready described. Leave it in the press until the glue is 
thoroughly dry. In the mean time measure the breadth of 

190 








B 00 KBINDING AND EXTRA- ILLUSTRATION 

the back and go ahead with the preparation of your cover, 
which may be made as follows: 

Cut two pieces of thin pasteboard a little larger than your 
book. Also cut a piece of cloth—calico, linen, or muslin— 
so much larger than both pieces of pasteboard either way as 
to allow for the back and the turning in. Down the middle 
of this paste three or four strips of the same goods to strength¬ 
en the back. Carefully measure the length and breadth of 
the back, and lay your pasteboard covers on the table, leav¬ 
ing the space of the back between them. Now put on your 
cloth, turning it around the edges of the covers, carefully 
avoiding creasing or wrinkling, and lightly glue it fast as 
shown at Fig. io. Your cover is now made and must be 
allowed to dry. Next take your book from the press, un¬ 
ravel and soften the projecting ends of the cord, and wet 
them with strong glue. Lay the book down carefully on its 
back into the cover and glue down the cords to the sides. 
The book should be supported in this position, which can 
be done in any number of ways, and a slip of cloth glued 
down over the cords to hold them steady. Then paste over 
all this a sheet of white or fancy paper to line each cover, 
and when the job is dry your work is done. 

Nothing has been said about cutting the edges of the 
book, as that is usually done on a machine; but if you are 
able to trim them clean with a sharp knife, so much the better. 
To do this, place the book into the press before putting on 
the cover, bringing up each edge of the three exposed ones 
successively, and while held there firmly, cut them carefully 
with a sharp knife or shoemaker’s cutting-tool. Any little 
inequalities may afterwards be taken down with sand-paper. 

191 












INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

The edges when cut may be spattered with any color de¬ 
sired by using a common tooth-brush and water-colors. 

To put on the title in gilt letters, the binder applies a lit¬ 
tle of the white of an egg over the space where the letters 



are to be. When this is dry, rub the leather with a rag 
slightly greased, and then lay on the gold-leaf. Next take 
common type used by printers, heat them a little, and stamp 
on the letters. The heat makes the gold-leaf stick where 
it is wanted, and the rest is rubbed off with a rag. All the 
gilt ornamentation on book covers may be put on in a 
similar manner. 

To get a clear understanding of these directions the boy 
craftsman should examine different kinds of books very 
closely; and if he has an old and valueless one he can take 
it to pieces and put it together again. Perhaps he can im¬ 
prove its condition. At least he will learn some of the 
minor details. He must remember that in bookbinding, 
as in all other arts, patience and repeated trials are requisite 

192 









BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


for acquiring the skill that produces neat and handsome 
work. 


Rebinding Books 

/ 

It is not always possible for a boy to purchase cloth- 
bound volumes of his favorite authors, as they cost quite 
a little money. But he may often procure them in paper 
covers, and if he is careful to select stitched books, rather 
than those simply caught together with wire or “wire 
sewed,” as they are termed, it will be possible for him to 
rebind them in cloth at a slight expense. 

To begin with, strip off the paper cover, taking care not 
to tear the printed title on the cover, nor that at the back 
of the book, if it is possible to save it. Both of these will be 
useful in the rebound volume. With a penknife and sand¬ 
paper remove as much as possible of the paper cover that 
has been glued to the back of the book, taking care not to 
cut away any of the stitching; otherwise the book would 
fall apart. The book in this condition, ready for its “case” 
or cover, is shown in Fig. 6. If the signatures have been 
caught together with wire, remove the latter with a pair of 
pliers; then sew the pages as already described. Get two 
pieces of white paper the same thickness and quality of 
which the book is made, and fold them over once, as shown 
in Fig. 7. With paste or liquid glue attach one at each 
side of the book by running the paste along one side of the 
folded edge of paper for a quarter of an inch, as shown by 
the shaded line in Fig. 7. This is called “tipping,” and 
where a page or two have become detached or not properly 
bound in, this method is employed to reset it. 

193 


13 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


When these pages are in place, trim them so as to corre¬ 
spond to the size of the book; then glue the back of the book 
well and attach a piece of crash to the back as shown in 
Fig. 8. The crash should be a trifle shorter than the 
height of the book, or about half an inch at each end, and 
there should be at least an inch of the material on either 
side of the book, as shown in the illustration. This material 
is known as “crash” in the book-binding trade, but it is 
nothing more than a coarse-thread cloth with open mesh, 
and it is sold in dry-goods stores under the name of crino¬ 
line. 

From clay-board or stiff card-board, binders’ board, or 
strawboard, cut two pieces an eighth of an inch wider and 
a quarter of an inch longer than the actual size of the book. 
These are for the front and back corners. Lay the binding 
material—buckram, cloth, or leather—on a table or smooth 
board face down. Now, with a lead-pencil, mark two paral¬ 
lel lines through the middle, as far apart as the thickness of 
the book plus the thickness of the covers, as shown at A A in 
Fig. 9. Then mark a line across one end at right angles to 
these, as shown at B. Apply glue to the covering material 
and place the card-boards on the spaces C C, so that the 
inner edge and top of each board will line with the pencil- 
marks A and B. Press the boards down with the fingers; 
then turn the cloth and boards over and press with a dry 
cloth, rubbing over the surface to drive down the cloth in 
any place where it does not seem to have adhered. With 
scissors or a knife cut off the corners as shown at D, taking 
care not to approach too close to the corner of the boards. 
Leave about one-eighth of an inch of cloth beyond the 

194 


1 










fiG-.g. 


REBINDING AN OLD BOOK 










































_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

comers, so that it will cover them when the edges of the 
cloth are turned over. These edges should be about half 
an inch in width. After applying glue to them, lap them 
over on the card-boards, as shown at Fig. io, and rub them 
with the soft cloth to drive out all air from between these 
edges and the boards. 

When the four sides are finished, the cover or case is ready 
to receive the book. Lay the case open on a table, just as 
you see it in Fig. io, and apply glue to the space between 
the card-boards, and also on the card-boards for an inch or 
so from the inner edges. Now take the book in hand, and 
place it so that the back will rest on the space of cloth be¬ 
tween the boards, leaving an equal projection of the cover 
above and below the board, or about one-eighth of an inch. 
With the fingers press the projecting flaps of crash down on 
the glued surface of the cards at either side of the book; 
then lift both covers up to the sides of the book (still allow¬ 
ing it to rest on its back), and with both hands press the 
covers together as hard as you can. Hold it in this position 
for a few seconds; then carefully lay the book on its side 
and place a flat-iron upon it for five minutes. 

At the end of this time carefully lift one cover and apply 
glue or paste to the first fly-leaf (that is one of the pages 
you tipped in), and press it against the inside of the cover, 
taking care, however, not to allow the paper to wrinkle. 
Turn the book over and repeat this on the other side; then 
replace the flat-iron and leave the book under pressure for 
a day or two; or, better yet, arrange it in between the 
pressure-boards described for Figs. 4 and 5, and leave it 
there overnight. 

196 












BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


If the first page has adhered to the glue about the edges of 
the crash, it will be necessary to carefully pull it away, 
taking care not to tear this first page or lining sheet, nor to 
disturb the crash. If liquid glue is used, it will not set 
hard enough in the five minutes to render it impossible to 
remove the paper. If hot glue is employed, it will not be 
necessary to close the book and press it, for the glue will 
set very quickly, and the first and last pages may be pasted 
and laid over the inside of the covers at once, so that when 
placed under pressure and left there the crash, glue, and 
paste can set and dry at the same time. 

The object of pasting the blank pages to the inside of 
the covers is to make a good finish to the binding, and also 
to lend additional strength to the attachment of book and 
case. Fancy end-papers and richly tinted or colored ones 
are often used as linings, as you can see in many books. 
These are always tipped in as described, so that they will 
be the first and last pages in the book. 

From the paper cover (which you removed from the book 
before binding it) cut the title, and, with glue, apply it to 
the front cover near the top, as shown in the illustration of 
the finished book (Fig. n). If the back title has been 
preserved that can be pasted along the back. 


How to Extra-illustrate a Book 

Every one knows how much more interesting is an illus¬ 
trated book than one without pictures. What a satis¬ 
faction it would be to us if we could illustrate our favorite 
books ourselves! What pleasure we would take in it! This 

197 






_INDO OR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

is entirely possible. It is a comparatively easy matter to 
illustrate a book, or, in the case of a book that already con¬ 
tains pictures, to extend and increase the illustration by 
means of old prints, engravings, and pictures gathered from 
various sources, and bound in with the leaves of the book. 
This is called “extra-illustrating,” and has long been a 
favorite amusement of collectors. 

A book that is carefully and judiciously extra-illustrated 
is not only much more attractive in appearance, but its 
value is greatly increased, and the amount of pleasure and 
instruction to be gained by the extra-illustration of one 
book is a rich reward for the trouble and time it costs. 

The first thing to be done in the extra-illustration of a 
book which has been selected for the purpose is the collec¬ 
tion of the pictures. This will often take some time, and 
should never be done in a hurry. Old magazines and illus¬ 
trated papers will supply many of the necessary pictures, 
while old books and the shops devoted to the sale of old 
prints and engravings will furnish others. 

Suppose The Three Musketeers to be the book chosen. A 
portrait of the author should be selected for a frontispiece. 
Other portraits, representing the author at different ages, 
may be used in the book; but that which serves as the 
frontispiece should be one made about the time he wrote 
the book. 

The other illustrations should consist of pictures refer¬ 
ring as nearly as possible to the scenes and incidents de¬ 
scribed in the story. Pictures of an author’s home or por¬ 
traits of members of his family are always useful; but no 
picture, however interesting in itself, should be included if 

198 








BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


it does not bear directly upon the scenes in the book, or is 
not in some way connected with the author. 

When a sufficient number of illustrations have been se¬ 
lected, they should be mounted ready for binding. This is 
the difficult part, and must be done with great care. 

Take a sheet of strong paper, as nearly as possible the 
same color and weight as the paper upon which the book 
is printed, and cut it the exact size of the page of the book. 
Then trim your print close to the work, being careful to see 
that the edges are perfectly straight. Cut out from your 
sheet of paper a hole exactly the shape of the print, but an 
eighth of an inch smaller on all sides. This opening should 
not be exactly in the middle of the page, but a little above 
the middle and a little to the left, so as to give wider mar¬ 
gins at the bottom and on the right. Now gum or paste the 
edges of the print on the under side with great care, and 
place it over the opening so that it is even on all sides. As 
there is a difference of only a sixteenth of an inch on the four 
sides, it is a delicate matter to place the print on the mount 
accurately, but after a little practice it can be done quite 
easily and quickly. 

After the prints are mounted, they should be pressed un¬ 
til dry. Then the cover of the book should be carefully re¬ 
moved with the aid of a sharp knife. Never mind about 
ruining the blank pages or fly-leaves, for they will be re¬ 
placed by the binder when he puts the cover on again; but 
care should be taken to avoid cutting or tearing any of the 
printed pages. When the cover is removed, it will be found 
that the book is put together in sections laid one on top of 
another. These sections consist of sixteen or some other 


199 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


number of pages each, and a section is known in a printing- 
office as a “signature.’’ The threads that sew the book 
should be cut, and the signatures should be carefully sepa¬ 
rated from each other. 

Then the mounted prints should be laid in as nearly as 
possible opposite the incidents they illustrate. The prints 
should always be inserted face up, and the sidewise full 
pages with the bottom of the picture towards either the out¬ 
side or inside margin of the book. Now your book is ready 
for the binder. Perhaps your extra-illustration has been so 
extensive as to increase the bulk of the book so much that 
the original cover will not go on again, and perhaps enough 
has been added to make the one volume into two, in which 
case your binder can supply you with simple covers at a 
very slight expense. 

Books of travel, or stories of hunting, fishing, etc., may 
be beautifully illustrated by photographs. Unmounted 
prints are to be desired, although it is possible to take 
prints off mounts by a liberal soaking in warm water. The 
soft-finished photographs, such as bromide and platinum 
prints, are vastly better than the shiny albumen prints. 

Photographs should be mounted in the same way as other 
prints, except that no openings are to be made in the 
mounts. The prints should be pasted on fiat and pressed 
until dry. Albumen prints have a tendency to curl up, 
and it will require a pretty stiff paper to keep them fiat. 
This is one of the reasons why platinum or bromide prints 
are so much better. When albumen prints are used they 
must be mounted wet, and should afterwards be burnished, 
which can be done by any professional photographer. An 


200 









BOOKBINDING AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATION 


amateur photographer can have the fun in many cases of 
making the pictures himself for the book he wants to extra- 
illustrate, and the finished work will have an added interest 
and value to him. 

The use of photographs, especially if many are included, 
will greatly increase the thickness of a book, and it will 
generally be found advisable to have the binder make it 
into two volumes of equal size. 


A Circulating Library 

In a small town, or in a residential section of a city where 
most of the young people are acquainted with one another, 
a circulating library may be formed at a nominal cost. This 
can be done in two ways: the first plan is for the members 
to contribute the books—from one to ten volumes—as may 
be agreed upon. Many people hesitate to lend books, be¬ 
cause they “fly off and never come home to roost,” but by 
the circulating-library system law and order can be main¬ 
tained. One of the most successful libraries of this kind 

was carried on for a number of vears in a New York town. 

* 

The young people, in due time, became married men and 
women, but through the association of the library they con¬ 
tinued to hold together like a great big family. 

A regular set of by-laws were established and lived up to. 
Books could be drawn each week, on a day set for this pur¬ 
pose. A librarian was selected, and in his house the book¬ 
case was located. There were three locks on the case. The 
key of one was held by the librarian, another by the presi¬ 
dent, and the third by the secretary and treasurer. Regu- 


201 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

lar dues were assessed on each member—twelve cents a 
year at first; then fifty-two cents, and finally one dollar. 
Books "kept over two weeks were charged for at the rate of 
one cent a week, doubling each week for four weeks. This 
fine made it imperative for the subscribers to return books 
at the end of three weeks or suffer a heavy penalty. 

Another popular scheme was carried out by the children 
in the Glenwood section of Greater New York. They held 
a fair some years ago, and made quite a little money. They 
then purchased paper-covered books by good authors and 
rebound them in cloth. A bookcase was constructed that 
held over one hundred volumes, and the same co-operative 
plan was inaugurated that has just been described. 







Chapter XIV 


MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 

B OYS who have cameras, and who have made good 
collections of views, portraits, and other interesting 
pictures, may find a great deal of pleasure in entertaining 
friends with stereopticon exhibitions of their work. The 
necessary plates and materials may be purchased at any 
camera or photographic supply store, and with a little 
patient practice excellent lantern slides may be made. A 
good magic lantern or stereopticon is a luxury, but for the 
ambitious boy there is a way to make one at home with 
but little outlay of money beyond the cost of the lenses and 
lamp. 

A Home-made Magic Lantern 

A box, some thin boards, an ordinary central-draught or 
duplex-burner lamp, a reflector, some nails and screws, a 
pair of condensing-lenses, and a projector are the materials 
necessary. 

Make a box of half-inch wood, twelve inches long, eleven 
inches high, and seven inches wide, outside measure. Cut 
a round hole four and three-fourths inches in diameter at 
the front of the box, the middle of the hole being eight 

203 


_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

inches above the inside bottom. Make a door at the back 
of the box, and fasten a reflector just opposite this hole. 

Cut a hole in the top of the box for a lamp-chimney to 
come through. Nail a piece of half-inch wood eight inches 
long to the front of the box three inches from the bottom 
(see Fig. i). We will call this the deck. Fasten a piece of 
wood fourteen inches long and four inches wide on either 
side of the box and deck-piece (see Fig. 2). Perforate the 
bottom of the box with holes half an inch in diameter, to 
afford the necessary draught to the lamp. Elevate the box 
on two cross-sticks an inch wide (see Fig. 2 B B). 



204 


U 




























































































MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


From an optician or camera supply house obtain a pair 
of four-inch condensers mounted in a brass barrel, and a 
quarter-size projector with a rack and pinion. Mount the 
condensers in the hole in front of the box, supported by 
means of a block (Fig. 3), fastened on the inside front of 
the box (see Fig. 4). 

In order to adapt the focus of the lenses according to the 
distance the lantern is from the screen, a sliding front is 
necessary (see Fig. 5). Cut a base-block scant seven inches 
wide and six inches long, fastening to it, three and one-half 
inches from the front, an upright piece of wood high enough 
to be even with the top of the lantern-box. When the base 
is resting on the deck in front of the box two small angle- 
brackets will steady the upright and make it rigid (see Fig. 
5). Cut a hole in this upright board so that the centre of 
the projector mounted in it lines exactly with the centre 
of the condensing-lenses. This is an important point; if 
the lenses are not carefully mounted opposite one another 
the picture will not be clear. Now fit a piece of wood one- 
fourth of an inch in front of the main box, fastening it at 
the top with a strip of tin. There must be a hole three inches 
square cut in this board, the middle of which must line with 
the centre of condensing-lens. In the opening between this 
board and the box slip a thin piece of board for the slides to 
rest on. Set a double-wick lamp or central-draught burner 
within the box at the proper height, so that the brightest 
part of the flame will be in direct line with the centre of the 
reflector and the condensing-lenses. 

The principle of the magic lantern is the reflection of the 
light through the condensing-lenses, which pick up all the 

205 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


light possible and throw it through the slide, which is located 
directly in front of it. The light is then taken up by the 
projector, and the pencils of light are thrown onto the 
screen, at the same time magnifying the picture. This 
principle is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, which show 
also the relative position of the lamp, lenses, and reflector. 

To keep in the light that would escape through the top 
opening in the box, put a piece of common stove-pipe (small) 
over the lamp-chimney. Cut a cap from a piece of tin 
(Fig. 7 A), the ears extending down inside the chimney to 
hold the cap in place, when the cap-piece is bent in a half 
circle as shown at Fig. 7 B. 

To cover the space between the lantern-top and the mov¬ 
ing front board a piece of black cloth can be used. Or if 
you have an old camera-bellows it may be made fast to the 
back of the projector-lens board and to the front of the slide- 
board located close to the box. It is not necessary to have an 
absolutely light-tight bellows; indeed, a very good one can be 
made from some wire hoops with black cloth sewed to them. 

In Fig. 8 the wire hoops are shown, and in Fig. 9 the fin¬ 
ished bellows, with the cloth stitched in place, is ready to 
be attached to the boards with small tacks or staples. 

When all the parts are assembled, and the lantern is com¬ 
plete (except the bellows, which has been omitted so that the 
working parts mav be more clearly shown), the lantern will 
appear as in Fig. 10. 

A Stereopticon 

The cost of a good stereopticon will range from twenty- 
five to seventy-five dollars, and that sum places it beyond 

206 










MAG IC LA NTERNS A ND STEREOPTICONS 

reach of the average boy. The following instructions and 
illustrations will enable any smart boy, who is handy with 



tools and light materials, to make a high-grade stereopticon 
with lamp and mechanism that is capable of doing really 
good work. 

The materials needed for its construction will be some 

207 


































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


sheet Russia iron, thin mahogany or cherry boards three- 
eighths of an inch in thickness and six inches wide, some 
round-headed brass screws, small hinges, a camera-bellows, 
and the necessary lenses and lamp. The tools include a 
light pair of metal shears, a fine-tooth saw and a compass- 
saw, a small hammer, plane, and screw-driver, and a light 
cold-chisel. 

To begin with, obtain a board twenty inches long, six 
inches wide, and three-eighths of an inch in thickness to 
serve as the base-board. Treat this board to several suc¬ 
cessive thin coats of shellac, and rub down the last coat with 
fine sand-paper to give it a smooth surface. Cut another 
piece six inches wide, eight and one-eighth inches long, and 
in it make a round hole about four and a half inches in di¬ 
ameter, through which the case that contains the condenser- 
lenses may pass and fit snugly. This board is to be placed 
nine inches from one end of the base-board, and fastened to 
it in a standing position with long, slim screws driven into 
the lower end through the under-side of the base-board. 
Fig. ii shows the arrangement of these boards, also the 
runners and sheet-iron hood. 

From a sheet of Russia iron cut a piece nine and a half 
inches wide and twenty-three inches long, and have a tin¬ 
smith roll one edge over a piece of wire so as to stiffen it. 
With a rule and piece of chalk divide and mark off the 
sheet into three divisions, the end ones measuring eight and 
a half by nine inches and the middle one six by nine inches. 

Lay the sheet on a board at the edge of a table so that a 
chalked line is directly over the sharp edge, and, holding it 
down firmly with one hand, bend the iron down with the 

208 











Fiq.I5 


TlCf.l 4 b 


CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEREOPTICON 





























































































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


other, forming a right angle. Bend the iron on the remain¬ 
ing line in a similar manner, and the hood is formed. 

In the top of this hood, at the middle, mark off an oblong 
two inches wide and six inches long; then cut out the piece 
of iron with a cold-chisel and a hammer, laying the sheet- 
iron on the upturned surface of an old flat-iron. File or 
emery-paper the edges of the opening to render them 
smooth, then cut an opening in one side, three and a half 
inches high by four inches long, for a door. 

Through the top hole a lamp-chimney may project that the 
surplus heat may be carried upward. For the side opening 
a sheet-iron door should be made and hung in place with 
small brass hinges, and a brass lever catch to keep it closed. 

This catch is a simple little affair, and consists of a thin 
piece of spring brass, in one end of which a hole has been 
made, while at the other a little knob handle is riveted. One 
end is attached to the door, and to the hood beside the door 
a catch of thin brass is riveted fast, into which the lever 
catch can drop. 

To stiffen the door, the edges should be bound with nar¬ 
row brass strips, securely fastened with small rivets, or 
escutcheon pins, that can be adapted as rivets by cutting 
them to the required length. 

Two runners half an inch wide and three - eighths of an 
inch in thickness are to be screwed fast to the uncovered 
top of the base-board, four and a half inches apart, as shown 
in Fig. ii. From sheet-iron cut two strips half an inch in 
width and ten inches long, and fasten a piece to the top of 
each runner, using the same screens to hold them in place 
that secure the runners to the base-board. One-eighth of an 


210 










MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


inch of each strip will project over the inner edges of the 
runners, as shown in Fig. 12, and this edge will serve to hold 
the wooden slide-holder and objective-lens board in the 
proper position on the base-board. 

Make a sheet-iron door six inches wide and seven inches 
high, with the edges rolled over a wire to stiffen them, and 
in the bottom of the door, at the centre, cut an opening half 
an inch wide and two inches high. This will allow the door 
to be closed over a gas-pipe that may project for a short 
distance from the rear of the enclosure. Attach this door 
to the back of the hood with two small hinges riveted at 
the top, as shown in Fig. 13, and across the under side of the 
base-board, and two inches from either end, screw battens 
of wood in which pins have been set. These battens will 
raise the lantern up from a table or box on which it may rest, 
and allow a draught to pass up through holes made in the 
base-board inside the enclosure formed by the iron hood. 
These draught - holes will be necessary for either oil or gas 
light, and they can be bored about as shown in Fig. 13. 

Two small wooden runners must be fastened to the base 
inside the enclosure, a distance of four and a half inches 
apart, and between them a lamp or gas-jet tray will slide. 

From the thin mahogany cut three pieces four and a 
half inches wide and seven inches long. In the middle of 
these, and four inches from one end, make a centre dot, and 
with a compass-saw cut a hole in one of them three and a 
half inches in diameter, and in another cut a hole three and 
a half inches square. 

In the third board make a hole the diameter of the ob¬ 
jective lens; then with screws and glue fasten the first 







INPOOR BOOK FO R B O YS_ 

two boards together, as shown in Fig. 14 A, so that a space 
of three-quarters of an inch will remain between them. The 
height of this opening should be four and a quarter inches, 
and the holes in the middle of the boards should be centred. 
These two boards and separation blocks are to be fastened 
in a.11 upright position to a narrow piece of three-eighth-inch 
board the same length as the width of the upright boards, 
as shown in Fig. 14 A; and at the outer edges a saw-cut at 
the joint will allow this frame to slide back and forth be¬ 
tween the runners, so that the iron edge may fit in the saw- 
cut. 

To the inside of the front board two springs should be at¬ 
tached with screws at one end of each; these springs may 
be shaped from corset steels, and they should be bent in a 
curved position, as shown at the lower end of the opening 
in Fig. 14 A. Their use is to hold the slide-carrier back 
against the rear board and firmly in place. Slide-carriers 
may be purchased at an optical supply house, and they are 
made in several shapes; the most convenient ones, however, 
are the sliding wooden holders that accommodate two 
slides. 

The remaining board is to be mounted on a block and 
held in place by two angle strips, as shown in Fig. 14 B; 
and to enable it to slide between the runners it should re¬ 
ceive saw-cuts also. Procure a camera-bellows four inches 
square, or in its absence employ a piece of black silk or 
gossamer cloth, and attach it to the frames, as shown in 
Fig. 16, with small curtain tacks and glue. Having mount¬ 
ed these boards on the base-board between the runners, the 
box is then ready to receive the lenses and lamp. 














MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


From a manufacturer of optical goods purchase a pair of 
four-and-a-half-inch diameter condensing-lenses mounted in 
a tube, and a quarter-size four-inch back-focus double-ob¬ 
jective lens mounted in a tube with rack and pinion adjust¬ 
ment. 

The condenser-lenses should occupy the hole in the front 
of the box, where the tube can be firmly held in place by 



T~K2pl 6 


the inside edge of the hole. The objective lenses are to be 
attached to the face of the front board in the position shown 
in Fig 16; and by means of the sliding-board and bellows 
the lenses can be adjusted to meet any short-focus range— 

213 




































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


that is, a distance of fifteen or twenty feet from the sheet on 
which the picture is thrown. 

For use in small rooms a duplex-burner, or central-draught 
lamp, can be used, and a plan showing the position of lamp, 
reflector, and lenses is shown in Fig. 15. 

A represents the reflector placed behind a lamp having 
duplex wicks. The centre of the reflector should be directly 
in line with the centre of the lenses, and the lamp must be 
placed so that a portion of the flame, three-quarters of an 
inch above the top of the wicks, will line with centre of re¬ 
flector and lenses. The light is brightest in oil-lamps, from 
three-quarters to an inch above the wicks, and, as only a 
small portion of the light is of use, the most brilliant part of 
the flame should be employed for projection through the 
slide and lenses. 

B B are the wicks of the lamp, and the fount should be 
placed so that an imaginary line drawn through the centre 
of reflector and lenses would pass through the forward edge 
of one wick and the rear edge of the other. By arranging 
the wicks at the angle shown on the plan, the greatest ad¬ 
vantage can be had from the light. 

The positions of the condensing-lenses are shown at C C, 
and D represents a slide in position at the front of them. 
E E gives the position of the objective lenses, and the 
dotted lines F, G, and H, drawn from the reflector edges 
crossing at the light, passing through the condensers and 
slides, and out through the objective lenses, show the man¬ 
ner in. which the rays of light are collected and thrown 
through the transparent picture and lenses, and so on 
through space, until it rests against the large sheet. 

214 









MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


To complete the stereopticon an oval chimney is to be 
made, and fitted with a flange so that it may be held to the 
top of the iron hood with four little iron buttons or lap- 
hooks riveted to the top of the hood. This chimney should 
be four inches long by two inches wide at the bottom, and 
one and a half inches square at the top, and eight or ten 
inches high. At the top arrange a light-cap about as shown 
in Fig. 16, so that the light from the lamp or gas-jet will not 
throw rays up against the wall and weaken the picture on 
the sheet. 

Precaution must be taken to stop out all surplus light 
other than that projected through the lenses, since the 
useless rays tend to weaken the round disk of light on the 
screen, and render the picture weak and neutral in tone, 
instead of sharp and vigorous. The wood-work should be 
given two or three coats of shellac, and the iron parts should 
be blackened. 

Dissolving views cannot be shown in a single lantern, 
but if two lanterns are fitted with the same kind of lenses, 
and placed side by side, so that the disks on the sheet are 
uniform in diameter, it will then be possible to obtain some 
very beautiful dissolving effects. 

Lantern Slides by Contact-printing 

Many amateurs have an idea that it requires a great deal 
of skill to make lantern slides, but any one who can produce 
a good negative can soon learn how to make a good lantern 
slide. The simplest way is by contact-printing. 

Select a negative free from spots, scratches, or pinholes. 

2I 5 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


It must have fine detail in the shadows, and no harsh con¬ 
trasts of light and shade. The regulation size of a lantern slide 
is 3 J x 4 inches, so choose a negative which will still make a 
good picture if all but the portion included in these di¬ 
mensions is blocked out. Cover the part of the negative 
which is to be blocked out with black needle-paper, or paint 
it with non-actinic paint, applying it to the glass side of the 
negative. The negative is placed in a printing-frame, and 
then by means of a red light the slide-plate is placed over 
the part to be printed from, the film side towards the 
negative. 

If one has a lantern, the light of which is suitable for 
printing slides, cover the negative, open the door of the 
lantern, and then, holding the printing-frame about fifteen 
inches from the light, expose from five to twenty seconds, 
according to the density of the plate. A plate that prints 
quickly will need but five or eight seconds, but a denser 
plate will require a much longer exposure, often as long as 
thirty seconds. Cover the plate as soon as it is printed, 
close the lantern, remove the slide from the frame, and place 
it face up in the developing-tray. Turn the developer over 
it quickly, taking care that the whole surface of the plate 
is covered immediately. Any developer that makes good 
negatives will make good lantern slides. A weak developer 
is to be preferred to one which brings out the image quickly. 
Develop till the detail is well out; wash and fix same as a 
negative. 

As every imperfection in a plate is magnified many times 
when thrown upon the screen, great care must be taken in 
the developing, fixing, washing, and drying. When the 

216 








MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


slides are washed, take a piece of clean surgeon’s cotton 
and wipe the film very gently, then place to dry where no 
dust will settle on the surface. 

If there are any spots on the plate after washing and 
before drying, they may be removed with ferricyanide of 
potassium in solution. Tie a small piece of surgeon’s cot¬ 
ton to the end of a glass rod, dip it into the solution, and 
touch the spot very lightly. Rinse the plate at once, and 
if the spot has not entirely disappeared repeat the opera¬ 
tion. The ferricyanide works very quickly, and must be 
rinsed off as soon as applied. 


Lantern Slides by Reduction 

If your negatives are larger than 3J x 3J, and it is de¬ 
sired to get the entire picture on the slide, then the reduc¬ 
tion process will have to be resorted to. For this work 
you can use your camera if it has a long bellows, and the 
work should be done in a room where a window is towards 
the north. 

Obtain a piece of board five feet long and ten or twelve 
inches wide, and at one end of it erect the negative-board, 
as shown at Fig. 17. The negative-board or holder should 
be twelve or fifteen inches square, with an 8x 10 rabbeted 
hole at the middle of it, and supported with two brackets, 
as shown at Fig. 17 B. Kits can be made or purchased to 
fit in the opening reducing to 6Jx8J, 5X8, 5X7, 4i X6J, 
4X5, and 3}X4}. With this range of sizes any negative 
from 3{X4 j to 8X10 can be held in the board. Now ar¬ 
range two strips of wood at each edge of the long base- 

217 






INDOOR BOOK FOR^BOYS 

board, so that the camera can slide forward and backward 
on a plaform built to support it, as shown at Fig. 17 D. 

The camera should be made fast to this moving plat¬ 
form with wood cleats and screws, and it should be mounted 
high enough so that the centre of the lens will be exactly on 
a line with the centre of the opening in the upright board, 
as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 17. At the upper cor¬ 
ners of the plate-board arrange slim, steel-wire nails with 
the heads cut off, and bore holes near the ends of sticks 
three-quarters of an inch square so that they will fit down 
over the nails, as shown at Fig. 17 E. The other ends of 
the sticks should rest on the top of the camera. Over these 
sticks a dark cloth should be thrown when making photo¬ 
graphs of negatives, to keep out light and prevent the 
high light from the window affecting the action of the 
lens. 

To make a reduction of a large negative, fill the {date- 
holders with 3i X4 lantern-slide plates, having obtained kits 
to fit your holders; then clamp a negative upside down on 
the board, as shown at A. Mark the lantern-slide size with 
a lead-pencil on the ground glass of your camera, taking 
care to centre it; then move your camera forward or back¬ 
ward and operate the bellows until the correct size has been 
obtained. Focus as sharp as you can; then stop down 
your lens with the smallest diaphragm. Experience will 
dictate the proper length of time for exposures. No definite 
rule can be laid down, for the varying conditions of light, 
rapidity of plate, and state of the weather—all will have 
to be taken into consideration. 

Lantern slides made by reduction are always sharper 

218 







MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 






Tig-/?. 



T 


and better than contact slides, and whenever possible they 
should be made after this fashion, even from films which 
may be held flat between two plates of clear glass. A piece 
of white tissue-paper should be pinned against the window 
towards which the camera points, so that a blank white 

219 

























































































































































































































































































































_ IND OOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

light will be beyond the negative, thereby avoiding the pos¬ 
sibility of picking up any false lights or shadows. 

Lantern slides should always be masked, so that the actual 
sight-opening through which the lantern-light is projected 
will be two and three-quarters inches wide and two and a 
half inches high. A mask form can be purchased or made 
from sheet-brass. The opening and the other dimensions 
should be of the same size as the lantern-slide plate, or 
Six4 inches. The masks should be cut from black needle- 
paper with a rotary cutter, having first prepared a number 
of the blanks of the proper size; then the openings can be 
cut as shown in Fig. 18. A smaller mask for the central 
part of slides can be made two inches wide and two and a 
half inches high, as shown in Fig. 19, and for portraits an 
oval mask is the best (see Fig. 20). Covering-glasses or 
crystals are necessary in making slides. Old lantern slides 
can be cleaned and used for this purpose, or some very thin, 
white glass may be cut into 3 J x 4-inch plates. 

To mount slides lay a mask against the film-side of the 
plate, or positive, and over this place a clean, clear covering- 
glass, as shown at Fig. 21. With binding-tape (which comes 
in white and black) first bind one edge, as shown at Fig. 22, 
arranging the paper tape so that an equal margin will be 
visible on both sides. Bind the opposite edge, and then 
cut away the projecting ends of the binding. Proceed to 
close the short ends in a similar manner, and as a result you 
will have a finished slide, as shown in Fig. 23. Some slide- 
makers begin at one corner and run a strip of binding all 
around the edge without cutting it. This is a little difficult 
to do at first, but if you have a clamp that has a compres- 


220 








MAGIC LANTERNS AND STEREOPTICONS 


sion-screw and will turn on its axle, it simplifies matters 
greatly. Some amateurs prefer black binding-tape, others 
white. The white tape with black masks makes a neat¬ 
looking slide, and if the margin is wide enough the title of 
the picture may be written on it. 


I 




Chapter XV 

PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 

E VERY boy, at one time or another, gets an attack of 
printers’ fever, and then he will not be satisfied until 
he makes or purchases a printing-press. There are, of 
course, many different kinds of printing-presses. One of 
the simplest forms is shown in the drawing of the flat-bed 
press (Fig. i), which is very easy to make and to manipu¬ 
late. A flat board one and one-half inches thick, twelve 
inches wide, and eighteen inches long will form a substantial 
bed on which to fasten the frame and pressure-plate. The 
frame is made of hard-wood strips seven-eighths of an inch 
wide and three-fourths of an inch high. These are glued 
and screwed fast to the bare board, forming an enclosure 
five and one-half by six and one-half inches, and large enough 
to accommodate a chase four by five inches. A chase is al¬ 
ways measured from the inside. From one-half to five- 
eighths of an inch all around should be allowed for the thick¬ 
ness of the metal of which the chase is made. 

The pressure-plate is cut from wood one and one-fourth 
inches thick, and the same size as the outside measure of the 
frame attached to the bed-board. A stout lever fourteen 
inches long is screwed and glued fast to the top of this 


PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 


board, which is then attached to the rear strip of the frame 
by means of three stout iron hinges, so that when closed 
down the pressure-plate will fit closely to the top of the 
frame. 

The type as it is set up in the chase will stand face up 
in the frame, and the card to be printed is caught with 
gauge-pins to the inside of the pressure-plate, as shown in 
the drawing. The type, having been inked with the roller, 
gives the impression to the card when the pressure-plate 
is brought down and held against the type by means of the 
lever. 

The gauge-pins that hold the card in place are made of 
metal or of ordinary pins. Several forms of pins are shown 
at Fig. 2. A is made from an ordinary pin, while B and C 
are other forms cut from thin sheet-brass and then bent 
into shape with small pliers. 

Fig. 3 shows a chase five by seven inches, of cast-iron, 
which can be purchased at a printers’ stock house for a 
nominal price. When the types are set up they are blocked 
into position in the chase, and two wedges, made with 
bevelled edges to bear against each other, are tapped with 
a light hammer on the thick ends, so as to wedge the type 
in place. These are called quoins (Fig. 4). 

Fig. 5 shows a small proof-roller made of glue and molas¬ 
ses. It may be purchased at a printers’ shop for a few cents. 

A piece of glass or marble will answer very well for an 
ink-plate or slab, and after using them both the slab and 
roller should be thoroughly cleaned with benzine. The 
cleaning must be done directly after printing, else the ink 

dries on the roller and thus spoils it. 

223 







A SIMPLE HAND-PRESS AND 


ACCESSORIES 
























PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 


A composing-stick (Fig. 6) may be made from thin wood 
three inches wide and nine inches long, with a sliding jaw 
(as shown at A) made of thin wood and caught to the edge 
with a metal strip loose enough to permit the jaw to be 
easily moved back and forth. 

The types, being first set up in the composing-stick, are 
then transferred to the chase, and clamped in with blocks 
of wood and quoins. 


An Upright Press 

The upright press (Fig. 7) is on the same principle as the 
flat-bed, but the chase is held in a vertical position, and the 
back against which it rests is braced to the base-board. This 
press can be made a little larger than the fiat-bed, and will ac¬ 
commodate a chase measuring five by seven inches. At the 
rear of the sides of the base-board angular cuts must be 
made with a saw, and corresponding cuts should be made 
near the top of the upright board which supports the chase. 
With a sharp chisel cut the wood away between these cuts 
(Fig. 7). Cut the brace-pins also at each end (Fig. 8 A). 
A lap-joint is the result, and when fastened with glue and 
screws a firm anchorage and support is obtained for the up¬ 
right board. 

The pressure-plate is of wood one and one-fourth inches 
thick, and attached to the strip at the bottom of the up¬ 
right or chase-board by means of stout iron hinges. Care 
must be taken when placing these hinges to arrange them 
so accurately that not a fraction of an inch difference is per¬ 
ceptible at either side or at the top or bottom. Otherwise, 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



uneven pressure will give unsatisfactory results. A lever 
is made and attached to the pressure-plate as described for 
the flat-bed press, and a block may be fastened to the base¬ 
board for the lever to rest on, as shown in the drawing. 

A Lever-press 

A perfect wooden lever-press is shown in the large illus¬ 
tration (Fig. 9), which is drawn so clearly that only the 


measurements will be required to understand its construc¬ 
tion. 

The base-board of this press is twenty inches long, ten 
inches wide, and one and one-fourth inches thick. The 
upright board against which the chase rests is ten inches 
wide, eight inches high, and one and one-fourth inches 
thick. The pressure-plate is the same width and thickness, 
but is seven inches high, and bevelled at the bottom, as 

226 












PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 


shown in the side elevation (Fig. 12). The upright board is 
placed six inches from one end of the base-board, and is 
fastened in place with screws that are driven up from the 
under-side of the base-board, with side-braces let in to the 
edges of the boards, as shown in Fig. 8. 

The pressure-plate is hinged at the bottom to a piece of 
wood, which acts as a platform for the lower edge of the 
chase to rest on. It is seven-eighths of an' inch thick and 
two and one-half inches wide. Strips are glued and screwed 
at either edge of the upright board to hold the sides of the 
chase, and at the top the chase is held with a brass spring- 
clip that can be made and screwed to the wood. Four inches 
from the pressure-plate base three blocks are arranged to 
support the lever, which is connected to the back of the 
pressure-plate with a tongue of iron one-fourth of an inch 
thick, three inches long, and one inch wide (Fig. io). Quar¬ 
ter-inch holes are bored at each end just two inches apart 
from centre to centre. Two blocks of wood are screwed to 
the back of the pressure-plate one fourth of an inch apart, 
and a quarter-inch hole made in each, to receive a bolt, 
which also passes through one hole in the iron tongue. 

The wooden lever is fourteen inches long, one and one- 
half inches square at one end, and at the other it is rounded, 
so as to make it easier on the hands. The square end is 
rounded off and cut in with a saw, as shown in Fig. n, and 
one inch in from the end a quarter-inch hole is made. 

The blocks that hold the lever are set one and one-half 
inches apart, and a bolt passes through the upper end of 
them and through the lever near the end of the iron tongue. 
The hole in the lever through which the bolt passes is two 

227 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 




inches from the end hole, and when spaced properly the 
inside of the pressure - plate should be seven - eighths of 
an inch from the face of the chase-board when the handle 
and tongue are in a straight line, as shown in the side eleva¬ 
tion of the press (Fig. 12). 

Metal type, electrotypes, engravings, and printers’ plates 
are always made seven-eighths of an inch high. When 
making a press always bear this in mind, and if necessary 
the pressure-plate can always be built up with hard paper 
to meet the face of the type if sufficient pressure is not had 
at first. 


228 







































































































PR INTING, ST AM PIN G, A ND EM B OSSING 

Type, spaces, quads, rule, blocks, ink, and a small roller 
can be purchased from any printer if there is not a printers’ 
stock house in the town where you live. If the printer is 
accommodating, he will answer all your questions about your 
printing-press, and help you with any details about which 
you are uncertain. 

Stamping 

Stamping, or the process of imprinting without the aid 
of a hand or power-press, is as old as the hills. Away back 
in the early ages the art of stamping was carried on by means 
of wooden or stone blocks, on the face of which characters, 
letters, and various other signs were engraved. Patterns 
or figures in colors were imprinted on fabrics, parchment, 
and leathers; and in some of the walls of the ruined houses 
in Pompeii and Herculaneum there are found well-preserved 
examples of the stamper’s art, where figures of a running 
pattern are repeated at regular intervals. Both oil and 
water-color pigments may be used for stamping; but if the 
imprint is to be made on paper or leather, then printers’ ink, 
diluted with a small portion of benzine, should be used. 

Every boy may have an imprint of his initials cut on 
wood, and use it in stamping his papers, school-books, and 
other property. In the Far East every prominent merchant 
has his private signet, and always, when signing his name 
to documents, he certifies it with his stamp, which is placed 
beside or across the name, as shown in Fig. 13. 

In China and Japan these stamps are called “chops,” 
and are used with a red, brown, or blue ink-paste, which 
dries hard and indelible on paper, leather, or soft wood. 

229 










_INDO0R BOOK FOR BOYS__ 

The author’s imprint so interested a wealthy Japanese 
merchant a few years ago, that when he returned to Yoko¬ 
hama he had a handsome ivory, bone, and silver “chop” 
cut by a good maker in that city, and sent it over the sea 
as a souvenir of his visit to this country. Fig. 14 gives the 
imprint, and Fig. 15 is a drawing showing the shape of the 
“chop.” The body part is of ivory and the inlay of silver, 
while the cap, which fits over the engraved die, is of black 
bone. 

Any boy can make a signet of boxwood or maple for 
stamping paper and wood. For use on leather he can cut 
his dies in soft copper, which, when heated, will burn the 
imprint in the leather. 

In Fig. 16 four ideas for imprints are shown. In B and 
C the initials are combined, while A and D are arrangements 
of scrolls and lines which will be understood as belonging 
to a certain person, just as trade-marks are the known 
marks of certain manufacturers. 

In order to cut a wood-stamp, it will be necessary to have 
some fine carving-chisels, a vise, and sand-paper. Maple, 
boxwood, or other close-grained wood can be used, and it is 
best to cut the die on the end rather than on the side of the 
wood. Cut your block the size required; then draw the 
reverse of the design, as shown at Fig. 15. Cut this as deep 
as you need it, so that ink or marking-paste will not clog 
the low parts; then, when the face is properly finished, the 
die will stamp an impression as shown at Fig. 14. For large 
dies it will be necessary to use the wood on the side, as 
otherwise the blocks would be heavy and hard to handle. 
Souvenir books or engrossed memorials may be embellished 

239 







PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 


with corner ornaments, as well as with capital letters and 
borders in red, blue, or gold. Any boy who is interested 
in this branch of craftsmanship can get ideas and designs 
from gift books, calendars, show-cards, circulars, and the 
host of illuminated and embellished printed matter that is 
in circulation. When making these selections, however, 



avoid the commonplace printing-house patterns, and favor 
those to be found in the best magazines, art books, and 
hand-books of ornament such as are shown in Fig. 17, the 

231 

































































INDO OR BOOK FOR B OYS _ 

several parts of which are a miscellaneous lot of ornaments 
and letters that can be easily copied by the young die- 
cutter. 

Diluted printers’ ink is excellent for stamping, and 
when used it should be spread on a cloth stretched over 
several thicknesses of flannel and cotton cloth and made in 
the form of a pad, as shown at Fig. 18. This is a block of 
wood over which the thicknesses of fabric are laid, the top 
layer being drawn over the edge and tacked underneath. 
This block is then placed in a flat box of wood with a hinged 
cover, so that the pad may be kept enclosed when not in 
use, and so prevent the ink from drying out. After using 
the pad a cloth wet with benzine should be laid over the 
pad; then the lid should be closed and hooked down. 


Embossing 

In embossing the ornament is raised in low relief, and so 
lends a rich effect to paper, card, leather, or other ductile 
material. Embossing is generally done under heavy press¬ 
ure, and with moisture or heat to facilitate the work. 
Papers, thin leathers, and some fabrics can be treated 
in this manner by the boy craftsman after he has mas¬ 
tered the art of making dies. The mode of making bas- 
reliefs was fully explained in Chapter XI, and for emboss¬ 
ing a very low relief is necessary, since otherwise the 
paper would split or break away on the raised parts. After 
a well-modelled ornament is obtained, it will be necessary 
to make a hard casting from it in plaster, and then a cast¬ 
ing from this, so that for the work you will have a sharp, 

232 








PRINTING, STAMPING, AND EMBOSSING 


clear bas-relief and an intaglio—one the expressed design 
and the other impressed. Make these of hard plaster, and 
give their surfaces a coat or two of shellac. 

To press a piece of paper or leather, dampen it on both 
sides with a sponge or wet cloth, and heat the dies in an 
oven. Place the paper over the bas-relief, cover with the 
intaglio, and apply pressure. Or place some weight on top 
of the dies and leave them there for half an hour. On re¬ 
moving the paper you will find a perfect bas-relief which, 
when thoroughly dry, will hold its shape. Book, card, and 
mounted leather-work is treated in a hot press, but only 
for a second or two—just enough to drive the dies together, 
heat the material, and cause it to hold its shape. 












Part 

ROUND ABOUT 


IV 

THE HOUSE 



















































































Chapter XVI 


A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 

A LL healthy-minded boys are interested in physical de- 
l velopment; it is the instinct which leads them to climb 
high trees and scale precipitous cliffs, generally at the ex¬ 
pense of some anxiety to the minds of their parents and 
guardians. But these amusements are more in the nature 
of “stunts,” pure and simple; the logical and rational field 
of athletic culture is the gymnasium. In the large cities, 
and at schools and colleges and Y. M. C. A. societies, there 
are opportunities in abundance for gymnastic exercises. 
The purpose of this chapter is to show the boy who has to 
stay at home, or who lives in a small country village, what 
can be done in the way of rigging up a barn floor or a 
spare room like the one shown in Fig. i. He can also make 
most of the apparatus; for, with a few exceptions, all the 
principal pieces are simple in construction and not beyond 
the ability of the average boy. 

For indoor exercise the outfit must necessarily consist of 
those pieces of the gymnasium equipment that can be used 
when in a standing or sitting attitude, for the confined space 
of the average room will not admit of running, jumping, or 
leaping with the pole or from a spring-board. In preparing a 

237 


I NDOOR BO OK FOR BOYS_ 

list of the pieces of equipment suitable for a boy’s “gym,” 
some of the familiar ones have been omitted, as they are 
either beyond the ability of the average boy to make or 
they are too cumbersome for the home. The apparatus 
that is described and illustrated is simple and practicable 
and can be made at a much lower cost than the prices 
charged at the shops. 

Dumb-bells 

Wooden dumb-bells weighing a pound each may be pur¬ 
chased for about fifty cents a pair, but the boy who is in- 



Fig. 1 


terested in making his entire equipment can use croquet- 
balls with broom-handles, or one-inch curtain-pole sticks, 
for handles (Fig. 2). 


238 





























































A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 



To make these dumb-bells, obtain some old croquet-balls 
and clamp them, one by one, in the vise of a carpenter’s 
bench. Then, with a one-inch bit, bore a hole through each 
ball, as shown in Fig. 3. Cut a broom-handle or a one-inch 
curtain-pole in lengths twelve or thirteen inches long, and 
in the end of each make a saw-cut, as shown in Fig. 3 B. 
Smear the end of the stick with glue and drive it through 
the hole in the ball, keying it firmly in place by driving a 
wedge into the end of the stick, just as hammer-heads are 
fastened to prevent their coming off. Repeat for the second 
ball. Some glue should be placed in the saw-cut, so as to 
hold the wedge when it is driven home. To make the handle 
easier to grip, it should be bound with linen or cotton fish¬ 
line; then the balls may be painted or varnished, and the 
line given a coat of black varnish, which will set the cord 
binding and harden it. Several sets of these balls may be 
made for the “gym” and hung upon the wooden rail that 
extends around the room. 


2 39 




















_IN DOOR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

In the absence of iron bells, a heavy pair of dumb-bells 
may be made of gas-pipe handles and flanges with screw- 
holes fastened into wood blocks four inches in diameter 
(Fig. 4). The gas-pipes, an inch in diameter, may be had 
at a plumber’s shop or gas-fitters’, and they should be five 
inches long, threaded at both ends, and screwed into flanges 
which have been fitted with threads to receive them. These 
flanges are bored with holes, so that ordinary screws may be 
passed through them and into the wooden ends. The gas- 
pipe should be bound with line and painted or varnished, or 
the entire bell may be painted black to simulate iron. 

Indian Clubs 

A good pair of Indian clubs, weighing from two to three 
pounds each, would cost at the shops about one dollar a 
pair; but the boy who can handle tools may cut out a very 
serviceable pair of clubs from wood four inches square or 
round, with the club, or butt, ends fifteen inches high. 

Two pieces of spruce, chestnut, or apple wood are to be 
cut, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper end should be tapered 
so that it is one and a half inches in diameter, and leaving 
the base about two and a half inches in diameter. 

The tapering is done by holding the wood in a vise and 
gradually shaving away the wood with a sharp-bladed draw- 
knife or spokeshave, turning the wood frequently so as to 

cut the butt evenly and as true as possible. With a brace- 

/ 

and-bit a one-inch hole is bored in the top of each club three 
inches deep, and into it a broomstick-handle is driven and 
held in place with glue and a few steel-wire nails. Wooden 

240 









A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 


balls are bored and glued to the top of the handles, and given 
an additional purchase with small nails. The handles may 
be bound with fine line and the exposed wood-work painted 
any desirable color. 

Half a dozen sets of these clubs will add materially to the 
equipment of the household “gym”; and it would be ad¬ 
visable to make them in several sizes—say from one to three 
pounds each. 

Calisthenic Wands and Ball-bars 

These wands, three to five feet long, may be cut from 
any hard-wood, or the same lengths of a one-inch curtain- 
pole will answer quite as well. Plain square sticks may be 
planed octagonal in shape, or rounded, as a matter of choice 
(Fig. 6 A). 

The ball-bar (Fig. 6 B) may he made as described for the 
dumb-bells, by boring croquet-balls and attaching them to 
the ends of a bar with wedges. 

In many schools calisthenic exercises with wands, dumb¬ 
bells, and ball-bars are regularly taught; and the boy who 
has provided his own gymnasium with the simple apparatus 
required will find pleasure in rehearsing the school instruc¬ 
tions at his home. 

Swinging-rings 

Exercising and swinging rings are usually from six to ten 
inches in diameter, outside measure, and they may be pur¬ 
chased at the shops for one or two dollars a pair, according 
to the size and finish. 

A blacksmith will make you a pair of rings, eight inches 


16 


241 







_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

in diameter, out of five-eighth-inch round iron, for about 
fifty cents; and with a fine file and emery cloth they may 
be smoothed down so that they will not chafe the hands. 
Some rings are nickel - plated, but they are used only by 
professionals in their exhibition work. 

The rings should give a good grip, and there is nothing 
better for this than to bind them with tire-tape, or sew 



leather around them, making the seam at the outside, as 
shown in Fig. 7. The sewing should be done with doubled 
and waxed linen thread; if this should prove too difficult, a 
shoe or harness maker will help you out for a small sum. 

242 

















_ A HOUSE GYMNASIUM _ 

In Fig. 8 a triangle is shown having the lower side bound 
with tape or leather. This triangle is six inches across the 
bottom, eight inches high, and is made from half-inch round 
iron. As the lower side is a straight bar; it is somewhat 
easier to grip than the segment of a circle. 

The rings, or triangles, should be suspended by means 
of ropes, at the lower ends of which straps are provided so 
that they will hold rings, rods, or trapeze bars. A harness- 
maker will make these straps for fifteen or twenty cents 
each, of substantially heavy leather. They should be pro¬ 
vided with a stout buckle and a loop under which to slip 
the strap end, as shown in Fig. 9. The rope ends, through 
which the straps are caught, may be spliced or formed 
into a loop-end and bound tightly with twine to make a 
strong union, as also shown in Fig. 9. 

Trapeze Bars 

For the house gymnasium a trapeze bar should measure 
four feet long and one and three-quarter inches in diam¬ 
eter; it should be cut with a path at each end, as shown 
in Fig. 10, so that the strap may be wrapped around it and 
drawn tight. The bar should be made of seasoned hickory. 
The wood may be bought from a wheelwright or wagon- 
maker, and then dressed down with a plane and spoke- 
shave. The arrangement for the suspension is shown in 
Fig. 10 B. 

The adjustable flying trapeze, as shown in Fig. 11, is 
made from trunk - straps, provided with two extra loops, 
and a four-foot bar cut from two-inch hickory and shaped 

243 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



with a spokeshave. At the ends, paths are cut to receive 
the straps, and, if possible, have the bar turned in a lathe 
to insure a more accurate job. Small rings at the upper 
ends of the ropes or straps, and hooks driven securely into 
the ceiling-beams, will afford the needed suspension. 


Parallel Bars 

# 

The regulation parallel bars are usually supported on iron 
pipe-standards bolted to a heavy base, and steel heads are 
provided to grip the bars. But this fitting is beyond the 
ability of a boy to construct without the aid of a plumber, 
and the wooden frame base and bars shown in Fig. 12 will 
answer quite as well. 

The bars are of hickory, five and a half feet long and 
two inches in diameter. The uprights that support them 
are of oak, ash, or other hard-wood, two and a half inches 


244 

























_A HOUS E G YMNASIUM__ 

square and forty-two inches long. The lower ends of the 
uprights are set into bases of heavy hard-wood two inches 
thick, ten inches wide, and three and a half feet long. 
Square holes are cut in the middle of these bases, two feet 
apart, so that eight inches of wood will extend beyond the 
holes at each end, and so provide a surface on which to 
screw the bracket-ends that act as braces to the uprights. 
The holes should be cut with a brace-and-bit all the way 
through the bases, and then trimmed with a mortise-chisel 
and mallet, taking care to make them very accurate, and 
so prevent any play to the uprights when once set up. 

The stepping-plank is also of hard-wood, twelve inches 
wide, one and a half inches in thickness, and long enough 
to span the cross-planks. The distance between uprights 
should be about four feet. The stepping-plank should have 
a two-inch block under the middle to prevent it from spring¬ 
ing; it is to be attached securely to the cross-plates with 
large, flat screws driven into holes that have first been bored 
out with a bit. Hollows are cut out in the top of each 
upright with a compass-saw, and the sides slightly tapered 
to the edges of the U cuts, so as not to interfere with the 
hands when using the bars. Fasten the bars to the uprights 
with two slim screws at each side, driven through the up¬ 
rights and into the under sides of the bars. Do not put 
a screw or nail down through the bars and into the top of 
the uprights, for this will weaken the bars, and if the weight 
is suddenly transferred to the extreme ends they might 
snap off. 

At a hardware store purchase four iron brackets with 
eight-inch tops and ten or twelve inch sides. Invert them 

245 








_INDOOR BOO K F 0 R BOY S_ 

and screw the tops to the base-boards and the sides to the 
outer edges of the uprights, to insure added rigidity. 

A coat or two of paint will improve the appearance of the 
uprights and base; but do not coat the bars with anything. 
They should be polished with an oiled rag until smooth 
enough for use. 

A Floor Horizontal Bar 

The complete apparatus is shown in Fig. 13. The hickory 
bar, one and three-quarter inches in diameter and four feet 
long, is supported on hard-wood uprights two inches thick, 
three inches wide, and as high as the bar is desired—say 
from five to six feet, according to the stature of the boys 
who are to use it. At the lower end the uprights are held 
in position by two half-inch iron pins driven into the bot¬ 
tom. These fit into holes made in the floor in a corre¬ 
sponding position, as shown at A in Fig. 14. The upper ends 
of the uprights are cut with a compass-saw to receive the 
bar, and the edges are tapered to meet the edges of the U 
cut, as shown at B in Fig. 14. When the bar is in place it 
is held with straps made of one-eighth by one inch iron. 
They should be provided with screw-holes, as shown at C 
in Fig. 14. The ear-plate attached to each upright under 
the bar (and to which the stanchion wires are fastened) is 
made of one-inch tire-iron a quarter of an inch thick; it is 
bolted to the wood as shown at D in Fig. 14. A blacksmith 
will make the strap and ear-plates for a small sum; and at 
a hardware store staple or eye plates may be purchased 
and screwed to the floor, into which the turn-buckles can 
be caught. 


246 












_ A HOUSE GYMNA SIUM_ 

Four turn-buckles and some stout wire form the stanch¬ 
ions; and the floor-plates should be located so that they 
not only brace the structure forward and backward, but 
also from side to side, as may be seen at the right side of Fig. 


13. If the plates are five feet apart, they should be eighteen 
inches out from each upright. 

The particular advantage of this bar over a swinging one 
lies in its absolute rigidity. Also, when not in use, it may 
be cleared away by loosening the turn-buckles and unhook¬ 
ing them, lifting the pins out of the floor and carrying off 
the frame bodily. 

Striking-bags 

There are various kinds and shapes of striking-bags to 
be had at the shops, but a converted Rugby football will 
answer very well for home use. Remove the bladder and 
sew two large bone buttons to the leather cover at each 

247 































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

end, as shown in Fig. 15. The bladder should then be re¬ 
placed, inflated, and the cover laced up tightly. 

Leather straps, in the ends of which button-holes have 
been made, are caught over the buttons to form loops to 
which the ends of the suspension and draw ropes are at¬ 
tached. These straps are reinforced with a patch of leather 
sewed at the middle, as shown in Fig. 16. The patches will 
strengthen the straps and prevent them from stretching too 
much when the ropes are drawn taut. 

Between the ball and the floor a spring, or some stout 
rubber bands, should be placed so as to make the ball re¬ 
bound quickly when struck. 

The portable striking-bag (Fig. 17) is attached to the top 
of a staff, and is made of leather or canvas and stuffed with 
paper wads. Or a bladder, inflated the same as a football, 
may be used. The bag or cover for a bladder should be 
made of strips of leather or canvas sewed together. The 
inflated bag is then covered by a stout leather cap. Straps 
of canvas or leather are sewed to this cap and brought down 
below the bag, where they are attached to the staff with a 
thong or cord, as shown in Fig. 17. 

The regulation portable bags are mounted on an iron base, 
but in our home-made apparatus a plate of hard-wood will 
have to answer. From oak, ash, or other hard-wood K two 
inches thick, cut a base fifteen inches square, and round off 
the edges on the upper side. Make a hole in each corner 
through which to pass a screw, and a large hole at the mid¬ 
dle to receive a spiral spring. The staff (about the size of a 
broomstick) is screwed down into the top of the spring for 
five or six inches, or enough to hold it securely; and at the 

248 






I 


i 



STRIKING-BAGS 










INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


bottom the spring is held in the block with screws or nails 
driven through the wires of the spring and into the wooden 
base. 

When using the bag it should be fastened to the floor 
with two or three screws, so that it will not topple over. 
As it is struck it bends over from the bottom, and the 
spring, if stiff enough, will cause it to immediately rebound 
or come to an erect position. 

A striking-bag and disk, like the one shown in Fig. 18, 
may be made from wood and leather, a few thumb-nuts, 
and a pair of braces. To make the adjustable disk, obtain 
two pieces of white-wood or pine three inches wide, two 
feet long, and one and a quarter inches in thickness. Also 
two other pieces, each an inch thick, three inches wide, and 
thirty inches long. The first pieces are the wall-plates, *and 
laps are to be cut one and a half inches in from each end, as 
shown in Fig. 19, to receive the upright pieces. 

In the middle of each lap a bolt two and a half inches 
long is to be set. This projects through a slot cut in the 
upright pieces, and at the outer end of the bolt a thumb- 
nut and washer will make it possible to clamp the uprights 
fast to the wall-plates, so that the disk may be raised or 
lowered to any required position. 

Two slots, as wide as the thickness of the bolts, are cut 
in each upright with a bit and compass-saw; and on the 
uncut space, at the middle of the frame, a disk twenty-one 
inches wide and twenty-six inches long is made fast with 
screws and short angle-brackets attached to the under side 
of the rear corners. This disk should be made of hard-wood 
one and a half inches in thickness, and it is braced from 

250 





A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 


above with two irons that extend from the top of the disk 
to the upper ends of the uprights. A blacksmith will make 
these for a few cents each, and they, as well as the other 


hardware, should be painted black to give them a good 
appearance. 

The bag is shaped like an inverted balloon, and is made 

2 S 1 

































IN DOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

of six pieces of leather, or canvas, five and a half inches wide 
and fifteen inches long, sewed together at the edges. Each 
piece should be shaped as in Fig. 17, and when they are sewed 
together a round cap should be made fast to the large ex¬ 
tremity to secure the ends of the side-pieces. A patch is 
sewed along the edges of two sides to strengthen them and 
to pass the lacings through, as shown at the lower left-hand 
side of Fig. 20. This method of construction gives an open¬ 
ing through which to pass a filling of rubber scraps and bits 
of leather. If a rubber bladder is to be inserted and in¬ 
flated, this opening will not be required, for the bladder, 
when collapsed, may be pushed into the opening at the 
neck. 

One inch below the top of the neck some slits are to be 
made in the leather, through which the throat-laces are 
interwoven, as shown in Fig. 21. After the knot at the 
end of the suspension-rope has been inserted in the throat 
of the bag, the laces are drawn tight and tied. This is the 
best means of attaching the bag to the rope from which it 
is suspended; and by means of a hollow stick, which pro¬ 
jects down five inches below the under side of the disk, the 
bag may be centred and held rigidly. As a result it flies up 
at varying angles from this centre-drop when struck from 
different sides. 

The suspension-stick may be made from a piece of inch- 
and-a-half curtain-pole, the hole being bored out with a bit. 
The stick should be inserted through a hole made in the disk 
eleven inches in from the outer or projecting edge. It should 
be of such a size that it will be necessary to drive the stick 
in with a mallet to make it fit snugly. A coat or two of white 

252 






A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 


paint will finish the wood-work nicely, or it may be given 
a coat of varnish. 


A Medicine-ball 

A medicine-ball should be ten inches in diameter, and 
should weigh from three or four to six or eight pounds, ac¬ 
cording to the size of the boys and girls who use it. The 
case of a round football may be used, or a leather case may 
be made of six pieces and two ends, so that it will lace up, 
as shown in Fig. 22. The case is stuffed with small balls 



made of pebbles or small stones wrapped in newspaper. The 
newspaper makes a soft cushion, and does not allow the hard 
edges of the stones to come in contact with the leather. 
Larger or smaller stones may be used according to the 
weight desired, or sand wrapped in paper may be used in 
place of the stones. 

If the case is to be made, obtain some russet leather from 
a shoe-maker and cut six pieces, fourteen inches long and 
six inches wide, as shown in Fig. 23. With doubled linen 
thread sew the edges together so that the seam is at the in¬ 
side, as shown at the lower end of Fig. 23. Reinforce two 

253 



























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


sides of adjoining strips with a patch of leather sewed securely 
all around the edges and through the middle. Punch holes 
along the patch half an inch from the edge, through which 
to lace the draw-strings, as shown at the left-hand side of 
Fig. 23. At the open ends of the leather case sew on 
circular patches, four inches in diameter, to securely hold 
the ends of the six leather sides. The case will then be 
ready for the filling. 

By substituting a bladder for the filling, this medicine- 
ball may be used as a volley-ball. The volley-ball is played 
over a net, either in the “gym ” or out-of-doors, in a fashion 
similar to Badminton. It may be played by any number of 
persons at the same time, the object being to keep the ball 
in motion over the high net. 


Pulley-weights and Exercisers 

No apparatus for home exercise covers the field so gen¬ 
erally and thoroughly as the chest - weights, or pulley- 
weights. No instructions are necessary, for the boy who 
uses the apparatus can follow his own idea for strokes, and 
every muscle in the body may be easily and pleasantly 
exercised, there being sufficient variation in the movements 
to relieve them of monotony. 

An exerciser similar to the one in Fig. 24 may be con¬ 
structed out of a piece of plank, two pulleys, a pair of sash- 
weights, and some cotton rope or clothes-line. 

Obtain a piece of pine or spruce plank twelve or fourteen 
inches wide, five feet long, and one and a quarter inches thick; 
also another piece to form the foot, so that it will project 

254 








FIG. 24.— AN EXERCISING WEIGHT 
























INDOOR BOO K F OR BOYS_ 

six inches from the base of the plank. Two blocks of 
wood, four inches long, two inches wide, and an inch thick, 
will be necessary for the pulleys to swing on. Attach these 
to the upper end of the plank by means of hinges, as shown 
in Fig. 25. They should stand out from the board, and in 
from the edges, the distance of the width of the hinge-leaf, 
as also shown in Fig. 25. Plate-pulleys are screwed fast to 
the front edges of these blocks, through which the ropes 
pass that raise the weights. 

The foot-board should be padded with hair or excelsior 
and covered with leather or burlap, so that the weights may 
drop on it without making any noise. 

From two old tin pails remove the handles and bend 
the wires around so that a rope may be passed through 
the eyes at the ends, as shown in Fig. 26. At a hardware 
store purchase a pair of five-pound sash-weights, and pass 
the rope ends through the eyes. They should then be 
spliced or bound with fine line. When the ropes are reeved 
through the pulleys, a knot should be made in each one, so 
that it will chock in the top of the pulley and allow the 
weights to just reach and lightly rest upon the foot-pad. 
Therefore, when the handles are released the weights will 
not fall about on the floor as they would otherwise do. The 
ropes should be about five feet long from the eyes of the 
weights to the handles. That is quite sufficient to give a 
good long stroke while bending the body forward or from 
side to side. 

This exerciser may be screwed fast to the rail that should 
extend all around the “gym,” and also into the floor at the 
foot to steady it. Lighter or heavier weights may be em- 

256 








A HOUSE GYMNASIUM 


ployed, as the strength of the boy will warrant, but light 
weights are preferable to heavy ones for continued use. 


An Attic Gymnasium 


In Fig. 27 a good idea is given for the arrangement of an 
attic gymnasium; it shows the locations of the parapher¬ 
nalia in a room about fourteen by sixteen feet. A smaller 



Fig. 27 


room may be arranged in a somewhat similar manner, but 
each piece of apparatus must be cleared away directly it is 
out of use. 

Across the top of the room, from a window-casing to a 
batten screwed fast to the opposite wall, a ladder may be 

2 57 


17 




























INDOOR BOOK FOR B OYS 

suspended. Over the window-casing it would be well to 
attach a batten, so that the ladder will not spring out of 
place. A rope hanging from one end will make it possible 
to reach the rings. 

A strip or band of wood four or five inches wide should be 
nailed all around the room four feet above the floor, against 
which to place parts of the gymnasium equipment, and on 
which to hang dumb-bells, Indian clubs, wands, and ball- 
bars, as shown in the illustration. 

Under the trapeze or rings it is well to place an old mat¬ 
tress, a useful thing in the event of a fall. If the room is 
wide enough, double sets of hooks may be driven in the 
ceiling-beams from which both a flying trapeze and rings 
may be suspended. When one or the other is in use, the 
extra apparatus may be drawn up or to one side of the room. 
A light room is always more cheerful than a dark one, and 
plenty of ventilation is necessary in the home gymnasium. 





Chapter XVII 


A MINIATURE THEATRE 

A MINIATURE theatre, equipped with curtain, flies, 
drops, wings, and several good sets of scenery, is an 
unfailing source of interest and amusement. It has long 
been popular in Paris even as a professional form of enter¬ 
tainment. Fig. i gives the front elevation of a miniature 
theatre; and Fig. 2, a side view, illustrates the location of 
the working parts, and the manner of arranging the wings, 
drops, and flies. 

This theatre must be made of such a size that when it is 
placed at one end of a room the audience will have a good 
view of the fore, middle, and back ground. A good size for 
the stage is four feet wide and five feet long over all, the 
front being slightly curved, as shown at B in Fig. 3. The 
proscenium should be four feet wide, three feet high, and 
with a sight-opening three feet wide and thirty inches high. 

The proscenium is made from three boards seven inches 
wide and seven-eighths of an inch thick. The upper cor¬ 
ners are bevelled and mitred, so that the inner edges will be 
recessed, as shown in the plan drawing Fig. 3 A A. The 
top-rails are caught at the front to the top of the proscenium 
with screws, and are supported at the rear and middle by 

259 



INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



uprights, the lower ends of which are let into the sides or 
edge of the stage, and then made fast with glue and screws, 
as shown at C C C C in Fig. 3. Cross-braces at the back and 
middle of the top are screwed to the top-rails for strength. 
Bracket or brace pieces are caught at the rear of the last 
rail and to the rear of the last uprights midway between 

260 






















































































•_A MINIATURE THEATRE_ 

stage and top, and are made fast with glue and screws, as 
shown in Fig. 4. These will hold the framework securely in 
position. 

Gas, electric light, or candles may be used for the foot¬ 
lights. If gas is employed a small pipe should run along 
under the front of the stage. Over this pipe a tin cornice 
is arranged with holes made through it every three inches. 
These holes should be just large enough to admit gas-jets 
which project through it, as shown in Fig. 5. The supply 
of gas can be controlled at one side by means of a key, so 
that the lights may be lowered or turned up full. If candles 
are used they should be arranged on a board, so that as 
they burn lower and lower the board can be raised. If 
electric lights are available, they are the best of all, since the 
danger of fire is reduced to a minimum. The small sockets, 
wire, and lamps used for Christmas-trees can be employed, 
and will give very good results. 


Scenery and Equipment 

After the constructional work of the stage and frame is 
complete, it will be necessary to make the scenery and 
equipment. It will be best to have two curtains, the first 
a fancy one which can be painted on muslin or a window- 
shade. Window - shades come printed with pictures on 
them, and these can be strengthened with oil paints diluted 
or thinned with benzine. A very pretty outer curtain can 
be made from a printed Japanese silk panel, such as are for 
sale in the art and dry goods-stores. This can be sewed on 
a plain piece of goods, and the upper end made fast to a 

261 
















DETAILS OF STAGE 









































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


shade-roller, as shown in Fig. 9. The main curtain may be 
of denim, stout muslin, or any suitable cloth or fabric. It 
is nailed to a round stick (a curtain-pole is preferable), 
which is cut at the ends as shown in Fig. 6. The draw¬ 
string is wound in this groove, and so the curtain is raised 
and lowered. The shade-roller curtain is the outer one, 
and is attached to the frame at the top, and just back of 
the proscenium, as shown at B in Fig. 2. The main curtain 
is just inside the outer one, and is made fast to a stick near 
the outer curtain-roller. When down, the roller rests on 
the stage just back of the proscenium, as shown at C in 
Fig. 2. When the curtain is rolled up to the top of the 
proscenium-opening, a few turns of cord are taken about 
each end of the roller in the groove. The cords then pass 
through screw-eyes to the back of the stage-frame, where 
they can be held on a small cleat. Both cords pass through 
the same eyes, so that the pair of strings may be operated 
by one hand. The drop-curtains at the back of the stage 
are painted on window-shades, the rollers of which are hung 
on blocks at the under side of the top-rails and close to the 
rear uprights, as shown at A A A in Fig. 2. 

The flies are strips of muslin painted to represent sky in 
out-door scenes and ceilings in interior sets. The flies are 
tacked on a stick, the ends of which project beyond the body 
part of the fly so that they may rest on the top-rails of the 
stage-frame, as shown in Fig. 7. The fly part drops down 
two or three inches below the upper framework, so as to be 
visible to the spectators. The wings are of card-board or 
stiffened muslin tacked on frames, the bottoms of which rest 
on the stage. The upper part is held between the runners, 

263 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


or cross-rails, fastened to the under side of the top-rails, as 
shown in Figs, i and 2. 

The front and back of a wing is shown at Fig. 8. The 
front, A, is the smooth side on which the tree or other feat¬ 
ure can be painted. The back, B, shows how the frame is 
made to support this piece of scenery. The frame should 
be constructed of pine sticks three-quarters of an inch wide 
and half an inch thick. Where they cross each other laps 
should be cut out of each piece, so that one will lie flat in 
the lap of the other. The surfaces of all the sticks being on 
one plane, the frame offers a flat surface for the material 
to back against. 

An independent piece of scenery, such as the house, tree, 
fence, and bushes shown in Fig. 10, will have to be built 
upon a frame, and a foot must be provided so that it will 
stand on the stage independent of any top, bottom, or side 
braces. The manner of doing this is shown in Fig. 11, the 
two feet being “loaded” with pieces of lead at the ends of 
the feet so that the house cannot topple forward. Very 
pretty scenes can be made from card-board and of stiffened 
goods, such as crinoline, over which the painting can be 
done. Books, magazines, and photographs can be drawn 
on to offer suggestions for scenery and interiors, and the 
smart boy, who has some idea of perspective, can design 
and make some most attractive stage-settings for this min¬ 
iature theatre. 

The Puppets 

The actors and actresses should be celluloid or papier- 
mache dolls, their feet being attached to thin strips of wood, 

264 







-I ^ 






T I G". 6 



Tig-9. 


Y\ G-. f 0. 



SCENERY SETS 
















































































_ INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

which can lie flat on the stage and be operated from the 
sides. When the stage is on a line with the eyes of the 
audience, these thin strips will hardly be noticed. Jointed 
dolls may be used for the actors who have occasion to sit 
during the performance, but it is difficult to bring about 
the change of posture without destroying the illusion. 
Trap doors and other pieces of stage machinery may be 
added as found necessary, and there is no limit to the in¬ 
genuity that may be exercised in equipping our miniature 
stage. 

Of course the speaking parts are taken by boy and girl 
performers, who stand on either side of the stage, and are 
concealed from the view of the spectators by screens or cur¬ 
tains. The stage-manager and his assistant stand still 
closer in, so as to manipulate the puppets. A curtain-bell 
arranged under the stage, and rung by a knocker or electric 
apparatus, adds to the realism. 

This theatre is to be mounted on two horses, and it must 
so be screened off that nothing is visible but the proscenium, 
fore-stage, and footlights. This curtaining may be done 
with heavy muslin, or Canton flannel of dark color, or any 
material through which light will not show. 









Chapter XVIII 


FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM 

W HEN once a boy realizes what may be done in the way 
of fitting up his den or room, he is sure to take an 
interest in the subject. A certain amount of manual skill 
and artistic feeling are, of course, desirable, but these quali¬ 
ties may be cultivated, and to a much greater extent than 
one would at first be willing to believe. 

The color schemes, designs, and general suggestions in 
artistic handicraft that may be carried out in fitting up a 
boy’s room are almost without limit; but the following 
ideas are all practical, and the illustrations and explanations 
should enable the young craftsman to get satisfactory re¬ 
sults at the minimum of labor and expense. 

In the selection of woods from which to build furniture, 
the natural product of the locality in which the boy lives 
must be taken into consideration. Some States grow pine, 
white-wood (cottonwood), poplar, or cypress, while in others 
spruce, hemlock, maple, and fir will be found easier to ob¬ 
tain. In the Far West, gumwood, redwood, cedar, and 
cypress form the staple supply. The cost of the wood is a 
matter to be considered, and often the more artistic result 
may be secured by using an inexpensive wood, since the 

267 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


beautiful grain of the finer varieties can only be brought 
out by the skilled and experienced workman. Many woods 
have an open and broad grain that, if carefully filled and 
varnished over, will give a very pleasing effect. Chestnut, 
butternut, quartered oak, and ash have this quality, and 
all of them are adapted to furniture construction and room 
trimmings. For chairs and other furniture, spruce, apple- 
wood, and cypress will give good results; and all of them 
have a pretty grain when stained and varnished. Ash is 
harder, and makes good, solid furniture. If not found too 
difficult to work, it will prove a very satisfactory and ser¬ 
viceable wood for chairs, tables, benches, and other pieces 
of furniture that are subjected to hard usage. 

In the construction of the various pieces of furniture illus¬ 
trated, the simple rules of carpentry are to be followed, and 
only the lap, mortise-and-tenon, and tongue-and-groove 
joints are employed. These joints must be well made, how¬ 
ever, so that perfect unions will result, for every piece of 
furniture will rack in time if not properly braced. For this 
reason only the plain joints are advocated for the young 
workman; and nothing has been said about the dowel, key, 
and other joints that are frequently employed by cabinet¬ 
makers in the general construction of furniture. These 
latter require much more care and accurate fitting, and for 
the open and exposed joint the simple forms are far better. 

A Plain Chair 

Of all the pieces of furniture in the house, chairs are the 
ones most used, and, as they are subjected to hard usage, 

268 








FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM 


they should be well constructed and the joints carefully 
made. 

In the plain chair shown in Fig. i the front legs are sixteen 
inches high, the back supports are thirty-four inches high, 
and all of them are one and three-quarter inches square. 
All the side-rails and the four that support the seat are two 
inches wide and three-quarters of an inch in thickness, so 
that the laps cut in the corner-posts (Fig. 2, A and B) will 
correspond in width and depth. The cross-cuts are made 
with a fine saw, and the wood removed with a broad firmer- 
chisel, taking care, however, not to cut deeper than three- 
quarters of an inch when removing the wood. Use a mallet 
to help the chisel, but do not seek to take out too much 
at one time; better try three or four times, and take a mod¬ 
erate bite each time, than run the risk of having a large 
chunk come out and bring with it some of the wood that 
should be left for the rail-end to lap against. 

The rail at the front is eight inches above the floor, and 
those at the sides are four inches. At the back the distance 
is ten inches from the floor to the under side of the cross¬ 
rail. Take care to make the saw-cuts inside the two-inch 
mark, so that the rails will fit snugly into the corner-posts 
without any play. There is nothing so annoying in a chair 
as to have it loose-jointed and rickety. 

A wooden seat sixteen inches square, with the rear cor¬ 
ners cut out to fit around the back posts, is nailed or screwed 
fast to the top edges of the upper rails all around; and for 
the back a twelve-by-sixteen-inch piece is cut and screwed 
fast in the laps cut at the upper ends of the back posts, as 
shown in Fig. 2 B. 


269 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


To make a comfortable back and seat, cover the wood 
with curled hair from an old mattress, or some cotton and 
dried moss; then tack unbleached muslin over it to hold it 
in place. For the final covering use burlap, denim, cretonne, 
or other stout fabric, that can be had at a dry-goods store 
for fifteen or twenty-five cents a yard. Draw it down and 
turn it under all around the edges of the back and seat, 
fastening with small tacks driven at regular distances apart. 

Large, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks painted black will 
appear to good advantage if driven about two inches apart 
along the edge of the goods. If they cannot be had, or are 
too expensive, a very good substitute may be made from 
sheet-lead or an old piece of lead pipe split open and beaten 
out flat. 

From the sheet of lead cut disks three - quarters of an 
inch round with a cold-chisel, on the upturned face of an old 
flat-iron. With a small hammer beat the edges to resemble 
a hand-wrought nail-head, similar to those you may have 
seen in an old hand-bellows in a blacksmith-shop. These 
are to be painted black, and applied to the wood with slim, 
steel-wire nails, the heads of which will be invisible if they 
are driven well into the lead. The heads of the screws that 
fasten the lap-joints can be hidden with these mock nail- 
heads, as shown in the drawing. 

A good black paint for the metal parts of furniture is 
made by adding dry lamp-black to some brass lacquer or 
shellac, so it will have the consistency of cream. It is then 
applied with a soft-hair brush to the surface of the metal, 
on which it will dry quickly. It often requires two or three 
days for oil paint to dry on metals, and it lasts no longer 

270 






FITTING UP A BOY’S ROOM 



Tifr.2. 


than the lacquer or shellac coating. Several small nails 
driven around the edge of the mock nail-heads will hold them 
in place, and to all appearances they will look like the large- 
headed, wrought bellows-nails. 

271 




























































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


An Odd Chair 

For studying or reading, the chair shown in Fig. 3 will be 
found a useful piece of furniture. 

The wood is three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch in 
thickness, planed on both sides, and may be finally stained 
and varnished or painted. The front posts are fourteen 
inches high and four inches wide, while the back ones are 
thirty-four inches high, three inches wide at the top, and 
eight inches wide at the bottom. The side-rails are twenty- 
eight inches long, three inches wide at the front, and six 
inches across the widest place near the rear. The side-rails 
are fastened outside the rear uprights and inside the front 
posts, as shown at Fig. 3. At the back, near the foot, the 
chair is held together with a plate of wood six inches wide 
and eighteen inches long, screwed fast to the lower edge of 
the high posts, as shown in Fig. 4. 

The top of the rear uprights are bound together with a 
piece of two-inch curtain-pole, with a saw-cut in the end 
to the shoulder, as shown in Fig. 5. After it is in place, 
glue-covered wedges are driven into the saw-cuts to make 
a key, and so hold the joint securely. Between the front 
ends of the side-rails a similar piece is placed; or a two-inch 
square piece of wood, with the front top edge rounded off, 
may be substituted. 

The seat and back is composed of one piece of leather, 
fabric, or even carpet, caught to the front and top cross¬ 
pieces, and adjusted so as to form a comfortable support to 
the body. 

This chair can be made with a shifting back by rounding 

272 







FITTING UP a BOY'S ROOM 


off the lower ends of the back uprights and attaching them 
to the side-rails with bolts and washers, one bolt to a side. 
With two or three corresponding holes in the side-rail and 
upright, pegs can be fitted into them, or a rod passed through 
from side to side of the chair, in fashion similar to the well- 
known Morris chair. The pegs must be stout, or the rod 
substantially heavy, since the leverage is great and would 
snap off light pegs or bend a thin rod. 

A Morris Chair 

One of the most comfortable pieces of furniture in a boy’s 
room is a Morris chair, and if properly constructed it should 
last almost for a lifetime. 

Fig. 6 gives a good idea for a solid affair that can be made 
twenty inches wide and twenty inches deep from outside to 
outside of corner-posts. The posts are two inches square 
and twenty-three inches high, and in the front and back 
ones laps are cut to receive three-inch rails, with the upper 
edges sixteen inches above the floor. At the lower part of 
the sides, five inches above the floor, two-inch rails are let 
into the posts. From these side-rails to the under side of 
the arms four flat balustrades are mounted and held in posi¬ 
tion to the lower rails with screws and glue. At the upper 
end they are mortised into the under side of the arms for 
half an inch. Two more rails are let into the posts at the 
inside and on a line with the rails, at front and back, that 
support the seat and to which the leather is to be attached. 

A frame twenty-two inches high is made for the back and 
covered with leather stretched tight and nailed all around 
is 273 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



the edges with large, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks. The 
back is hinged to the rear rail of the chair, and held in posi¬ 
tion with a cross-rod, which in turn is supported by wooden 
pins driven into the end of the arms, as shown in the illus¬ 
tration. The arms are wedge-shaped, five inches broad at 
the front and two inches at the rear, where the ends are 
rounded. They are held to the tops of the corner-posts 
with long, slim screws, the heads of which are covered with 
the imitation nail-heads described in the making of the 
plain chair (Fig. i). 

A Settle 

For the side of a room, where there is space to accom¬ 
modate it, a settle is a comfortable piece of furniture, 

274 















_FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM_ 

and Fig. 7 gives some good lines that can easily be fol¬ 
lowed. 

The back of this settle is forty-two inches long and thirty- 
two inches high. The seat is sixteen inches above the floor 
and eighteen inches deep. The front plates are each six 
inches wide, twenty-five inches high, and seven-eighths of 
an inch thick. They are attached to the front and side 
rails of the settle with stout screws and glue, and a line of 
screws is driven through the front plate and into the edge 
of the one it laps against, as shown at Fig. 8, which is one 
end of the settle frame. 

The leather forming the seat is drawn over the front and 
back rails (which are each six inches wide), and is nailed to 
the wood, as shown in the illustration. The leather is ap¬ 
plied to the back in the same manner, and, to hold the edges 
down, glue may be used. 

A chair may be constructed in similar fashion with the 
same height and depth dimensions, but twenty-four inches 
wide over all, the side-plates under the arms being four 
inches wide. 

A Box-desk 

In the illustration of a box-desk (Fig. 9) an idea is shown 
that the young craftsman can easily work out. 

Obtain a box twenty-four inches long, eighteen inches 
wide, and twelve inches deep. It should be made of planed 
boards. At the joints drive in a few screws to make them 
more secure. Cut two pieces of wood thirty-six inches long, 
four inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick, and 
attach them to the rear edges of the box when it is stood on 

275 









I NDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

end, allowing the lower ends to extend down four inches be¬ 
low the bottom of the box. These will form the back feet. 
For the front ones, cut two pieces of wood fourteen inches 
long and six inches wide, rounding off one end, and cutting 
the bottom out three inches, thus allowing the remaining 
wood to be three inches wide, as shown at Fig. io. These 
are fastened to the lower edges of the box at the sides with 
screws and glue. 

Two shelves, ten inches wide, and as long as the inside 
width of the box, are to be cut and fastened six inches apart, 



leaving a ten or twelve inch space at the bottom for high 
books, or a place to put the feet when sitting at the desk. 
A top twenty-two inches wide and eighteen inches deep is 
made fast to the top of the box, and if a slant is desired the 
back of the top board may be propped up for an inch or 

276 


















FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM 


two with a strip of wood. On the ends of the side-rails that 
project above the desk-top a ledge six inches wide may be 
made fast for ink - bottles, pencils, and other accessories. 
Attached to the upper edges of the box brackets of wood 
may be arranged to support the projecting edge of the desk¬ 
top. 

Stain and varnish, or paint, will add the finishing touch 
to this box-desk. 

A Writing-table 

Two boxes, a drawer, and a broad top can be easily trans¬ 
formed into the writing-table shown in Fig. n. If well put 
together and decorated with artistic hinge-straps and es¬ 
cutcheons, the boxes are entirely hidden from sight. 

Two boxes, each twenty-two inches long, fifteen inches 
deep, and ten inches wide (outside measure), are placed on 
end and made fast under' a broad top forty-five inches long 
and eighteen inches wide. Three inches of the top will pro¬ 
ject beyond the boxes at the ends and front. This will 
leave a space nineteen inches wide between the boxes. At 
the bottom a ledge eight or ten inches wide must be made 
fast to the bottom of the boxes, on which to rest the feet 
when writing at the table. This ledge will also serve as a 
brace, and help to hold together the bottoms of the boxes. 

Legs six inches high are cub from wood seven-eighths of 
an inch thick, and fastened under the four corners at the 
front of the boxes. At the back, the foot-piece is a board 
ten inches wide, screwed fast to the lower rear ends of the 
boxes, so that six inches of it will project down to the floor 
to correspond with the legs in height. A shallow drawer is 

277 





INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

made to fit between the boxes, and a slide on runners is 
attached with screws near the top. 

Doors ten inches wide and twenty-two inches high are 
hinged to the outer sides of the boxes, and from sheet-lead 
the hinge-plates or straps and the escutcheons are cut with 
a light cold-chisel and mallet, as shown at Fig. 12, A and B. 
(For other designs, see Chapter VII., on Decorative Hard¬ 
ware.) The front hinge - plates are eight inches long and 
four inches wide across the scrolls, and the shorter ends are 
four inches in length. The flat edges that butt against the 
hinges must be made to correspond with the hinges in width, 
but they are no part of the hinges proper, being purely for 
effect. This hardware is coated with the black metal finish. 
It is then fixed in place with large-headed nails or with 
steel-wire nails. 

A top board, with half-circular supports, can be made and 
attached to the rear of the desk-top if thought desirable. 

A Whatnot 

For trinkets, books, and the general assortment of odds 
and ends that a boy is sure to possess, the whatnot shown 
in Fig. 13 will be found useful. 

It is fifty-four inches high, twenty wide, and twelve inches 
deep. The cap projects two inches beyond the sides and 
front. The side-boards are cut up at the bottom, the angle 
of the coves being ten inches above the floor. Near the top 
a corresponding effect is obtained by cutting out pieces of 
wood in the form of shields. The side-ledges are thirty-six 
inches above the floor, twelve inches long, and seven wide. 

278 





FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM_ 

They are supported by two brackets at each side, five inches 
wide at the top and six inches deep, cut as shown in the 
illustration, and made fast with glue and screws. 

The ledge over the drawers is forty inches above the floor, 
and each drawer is five inches deep. The lower ledge or 




















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


shelf is twelve inches above the floor, and the front edge is 
cut in with a compass-saw. 

All the wood-work is of stock seven-eighths of an inch 
thick, and the edges of the shelves are butted against the 
side-boards, through which screws are passed, the real heads 
being afterwards covered with the mock nail-heads. The 
usual stain and varnish will treat the wood nicely and lend 
a good finish to this useful bit of furniture. 


A Treasure-chest 

For stamps, coins, minerals, and other valuable posses¬ 
sions, the treasure-chest shown in Fig. 14 is just the thing. 

To give the chest an appearance of strength and security, 
the doors should be made of wood one and a quarter inches 
thick, while the legs and feet should be of one-and-a-half 
inch stock. The box is thirty inches long, eighteen inches 
high, and twelve inches deep (inside measure), and the top 
projects an inch and a half over the ends and front when 
the doors are closed. The legs are twenty-eight inches high 
and twelve inches wide. At the lower ends feet are cut 
from wood the same thickness as the legs, and made fast 
to them with screws. A cross-rail six inches wide and cut 
in at the under edge is mortised and tenoned into the legs 
twelve inches above the floor; while across the top of the 
legs a board twelve inches wide is securely fastened, and 
braced at the back with a four-inch rail, to prevent this base 
from racking with the weight of the chest. 

Shelves and divisions are arranged, according to require¬ 
ment, within the chest. To close it, two doors are swung 

280 








FITTING UP A BOY'S ROOM 


on stout hinges, against which lead hasps are mounted to 
lend an appearance of strength. These are cut from stout 
sheet-lead, and applied with large-headed upholsterers’ nails 
painted black. The front hasp-ends should be ten inches 
long and the return ends five inches in length. Over the 
key-hole a long hasp may be placed, with a corresponding 
one on the other door to complete the decorative effect. 

Studymg-table and Stool 

For service and comfort when studying or writing, two 
useful pieces of furniture are shown in Fig. 15. 

The top of the table is twenty-four inches wide and forty- 
two inches long. It can be made from three or four boards 
of pine or white-wood glued together at the edges and bat¬ 
tened at the under side. The front legs should be twenty- 
seven inches high and two and a half inches square. The 
rear legs are thirty-nine inches high, and where the table- 
top joins them laps are cut out on two sides for a depth of 
one inch, and a corresponding notch is cut from the corner 
of the ledge so as to fit into the lap. The lower rail at the 
back is six inches wide, and the lower side-rails are four 
inches wide. The shelf attached to the top of the rear posts 
is seven inches wide and forty-two inches long. It need 
not be more than seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, and 
the front ends of it may be supported with short bracket 
sticks which rest on the table-top close to the rear posts. 

At both the front and back brace-strips are let into the 
legs and the edge of the table, as shown in Fig. 15; these 
pieces are eighteen inches long and bevelled at both ends. 

281 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

To accurately cut the laps in the legs and table-top, lay 
a strip across in the proper place, and mark the lines with 
a pencil; then with a saw cut slowly and accurately on 
this line to the proper depth. With a chisel cut the wood 
away and let in the brace-strips, when they can be securely 
fastened with glue and screws. At both ends shelves may 
be attached to the posts and the braces, as shown in the illus¬ 
tration. These will make good book-ledges or convenient 
places for pencil and pen boxes, extra pads, and school 
trappings. Books may rest on the table under the top 
shelf. To prevent their falling off at the back, a rail two 
inches wide is attached to the rear posts and supported at 
the middle by a short upright block which also acts, as a 
brace to the middle of the top shelf. 

The stool is eighteen inches high, sixteen inches long, and 
fourteen inches wide. The corner - posts are two inches 
square, and the rails are two inches wide and three-quar¬ 
ters of an inch thick. At the sides the top-rails support 
the seat, which is a piece of cowhide attached with nails and 
glue, over which imitation nail-heads are made fast. The 
lower rails, at front and back, are three inches above the 
floor, and the lower side-rails are eight inches above the 
floor. Stain and thin shellac will finish this wood - work 
nicely. 







Chapter XIX 

PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


T HERE are very few crafts that a boy takes hold of 
with so much confidence as painting. In the average 
boy’s mind it merely means getting a pot full of paint, a 
brush, and daubing it on. This is painting in one sense of 
the word, but not painting as a real craftsman should do it. 

Good painting is a skilled trade, just as are horseshoeing, 
plumbing, or bricklaying. But this manual is not intended 
to be an artisan’s guide; all that can be done is to lay 
down certain principles, and to give the practical hints that 
may make a boy’s efforts in this line worth while. 

It is not necessary that a boy should know how to make 
paints; that is a branch of manufacture that requires years 
of experience, improved machinery, and chemical and min¬ 
eral formulae. A boy should know, however, what paints 
are made of, how prepared, and how they are mixed, so that 
he will be able to work w T ith intelligence and success. 

The basis of all good paint suitable for wood-work is lead 
or zinc. Some painters prefer all lead for outside work, 
while others take two-thirds of lead and one-third of zinc, 
and then add the coloring dust or ground colors to get the 
required shade. Both white-lead and zinc are ground in 

283 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


linseed-oil, and can be purchased in cans, or kegs, ranging 
in weight from one-pound tins to five-hundred-pound kegs. 
Zinc is sold in the same kind of packages, and the cost in 
small quantities is about ten cents a pound. Inside shades 
of any color are generally made of two-thirds zinc and one- 
third white-lead; then the dust or ground colors are added 
to tone down the white to any desired shade. Pure boiled 
linseed-oil and good turpentine should be used to thin 
paints. Benzine, naphtha, kerosene, or other oils should 
never be used in the preparation or thinning of paints unless 
for special purposes. 

To make the best paint for outside use, take two pounds 
of white-lead and one pound of white-zinc, and mix them 
thoroughly, adding whatever oil is necessary to render the 
mixture about the consistency of rich cream. If coloring 
matter is to be added, it is best to use the ground colors 
rather than the dry dusts, because the colors ground in oil 
are much finer, and will mix better with paint than the 
dusts. Colors ground in oil may be purchased at a paint 
store for ten or fifteen cents a pound. A portion of the color 
should be thinned first with turpentine, and then added to 
the pot of mixed white, stirring the mixture while the color¬ 
ing is added. 

If the paint should not be thin enough to lay on the wood, 
you may add small portions of turpentine until it is the 
right consistency. A little experience is the best teacher 
in this matter, and to make sure, it is well to ask a painter. 
Painters, and all masters of arts and crafts nowadays, are 
much more easily approached than they were a few years 
ago, and a boy who really wants to know, and who goes 

284 






PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


about it in the right way, can generally get the knowledge 
or advice he is seeking. When making paint for inside use, 
take the proportion of two parts of zinc to one part of lead, 
then mix and thin with oil to the consistency of rich milk 
or thin cream. 

Before new wood-work is painted, all knots or sappy 
places should be given a coat or two of shellac to “ set ” the 
sap. The priming, or first coat, should be composed of 
equal parts of boiled linseed-oil and white-lead for outside, 
or zinc with some turpentine for inside work. When this 
is dry one or two coats are to be laid on, taking care to 
apply the paint evenly and to work it into all cracks, crev¬ 
ices, and corners. The secret of good work is not in daub¬ 
ing a whole lot of paint on the surface to be covered, but in 
laying it on evenly and in a thin coating, so that it will 
neither gum nor run. Two or three thin coats are always 
better than one thick one, and the extra time spent in put¬ 
ting the thin coats on, and in going over the work several 
times, will be amply repaid, because the work will last. The 
thick coat will dry unevenly, and in time will chip, crack, 
and peel off. 

When painting over old wood-work, it is always best to 
scrape or remove as much of the old paint as possible. Then 
sand - paper everything smooth, and wash all surfaces of 
painted wood-work with a sponge and sapolio, or other good 
scouring soap. If there should be any glossy surfaces to 
the wood-work it is best to give them a washing with a very 
strong solution of washing soda. A saturated solution of 
the soda is best. This is made by adding washing soda to 
water (about a pound to two quarts), and mixing or stirring 

285 






_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

it until the water has taken up all the soda it will hold. 
After the soda-water has been applied to the wood-work, be 
careful to wash it all off with clear water, changing the 
bucket of water frequently, so that no traces of soda will 
be left on the wood-work. Follow these directions explic¬ 
itly, and do not try your own way nor trust to luck to have 
the new job look well and last. There is an old saying that 
“A little putty and paint hide a multitude of sin,” but 
get rid of as much of the “sin” as you can before the new 
coat is put on. The soda bath is particularly necessary on 
old furniture that has been varnished several times. Paint 
will not hold on varnished surfaces unless the varnish is first 
cut with soda-water or some of the prepared paint and var¬ 
nish removers. 

It is always best to mix your own paints rather than to 
purchase “ ready-mixed ” paints or “prepared paints ” at a 
store. There are, of course, a great many reputable makers 
of mixed paints, and you may use their preparations if 
you so desire. But my advice to the young craftsman is to 
purchase the raw materials of a good dealer and learn how 
to mix his own paints. 

When you have finished using your brushes they should 
be washed out—first with turpentine, then rubbed out in 
kerosene oil and laid away for future use. If they are to 
be used again within a few days, it will not be necessary to 
wash them out, and they may be allowed to stand in water. 
Bore a hole through the handle, and slip through a stout wire 
so that the ends of it will rest on the top edge of a can. The 
brush should then be placed in the can so that it will hang 
on the wire but not touch the bottom, as shown in Fig. i. 

286 











PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


I 


Then water is put in until it just covers the bristles, as shown 
at A. Never drop a brush into a pail or can of water for 
even so short a time as overnight. The brush sags and 
causes the bristles to curve, as shown at B, and it is then 
a hard matter to get them straight again. The several 
kinds of brushes that a boy will need for his work are shown 





"F” I Gr. 


in Fig. 2. A is a regular wire-bound bristle brush which can 
be had at a paint or hardware store in several sizes; B is 
known as a “sash tool”; C is a flat floor or varnish brush; 
D is a sizing, kalsomine, or whitewash brush; and at E a 
round-liner or stipple brush and a flat tool are shown. For 
light work the tin-ferruled, cedar-handle flat bristle brush 
can be had in sizes ranging from one to six inches in width. 

There is nothing that freshens up a room so much as 
repainted wood-work, newly papered or tinted walls, and 
kalsomined ceilings; and while it may not be possible for 
a boy to become an expert paper-hanger, it is quite within 
his ability to tint walls and ceilings, paint wood-work, and 
varnish the floors. If he has any artistic faculty whatever 

287 








































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


he can do a great deal of effective decorating, and this is a 
subject that we will now discuss at greater length. 


Decorating 


There is no secret in the art of decorating. Good judg¬ 
ment, good craftsmanship, and common-sense, coupled with 
the use of the best materials, will always bring about good 
results. 

The schemes that are shown in the illustrations on the 
following pages are those that any boy can carry out; and 
with a fair knowledge of carpentry, painting, and other 
crafts he will find it an enjoyable task to change his room 
into one containing characteristic features of his own in¬ 
vention or creation. 

A very simple effect is shown in Fig. 3, and for this room 
it will not be necessary to remodel or change any of the 
wood-work. After removing all old paper from the walls 
with hot water and a sponge (and cleaning off the ceiling 
also), the walls and ceiling should be given a coat of size. 
This is made by dissolving a handful of good ground or 
flake glue in a pailful of water, and then painting it on the 
wall with a wide brush. Do not slop the size over the floor, 
nor have your brush too wet with the glue-water when you 
are using it. Try to work it in well rather than attempt to 
lay it on thick. When it is dry you can kalsomine, paper, 
or tint over the walls, and the size will help to hold the 
covering material in place. The wood-work in this room 
is painted white or a light shade of any color that is easily 
washed and kept clean. If paper is to be used on the side 

288 

















FIG. 7 — A BOY S ROOM 






19 































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


walls, some very good patterns can be selected at a stock 
house that will not cost more than twenty-five cents a roll. 

The pattern shown in this scheme is in stripes and running 
vines. Above the picture - moulding the wall is tinted or 
papered with a light-buff paper. With some apple-green 
fresco-paint the laurel-bush tops are drawn in above every 
other stripe, if they are wide enough apart. This makes a 
good finish to broad stripes that would otherwise stop at 
the moulding. A small desk can be built in one corner. 
It has a hinged top, and within it writing-materials may be 
kept. Above the desk a book-ledge may be attached to the 
wall with two brackets. Simple curtains at the windows 
and a painted or stained and varnished floor, with a carpet 
rug at the centre, will complete the decorating of this room. 
The cost should not exceed ten dollars. 


Decorating a Bedroom 

Of the many attractive schemes for the decoration of the 
bedroom, there are none so pleasing and lasting as the 
plain paper and an ornamental frieze. 

A full - pattern paper soon becomes tiresome, and while 
there are thousands of pretty figured papers adapted to 
bedrooms, at least one-half of the bedrooms in our homes 
are overdone or poorly papered. Small figures and as 
nearly neutral shades as possible should be used, as they 
are restful to the eyes, particularly in time of sickness. In 
Fig. 4 a pleasing scheme is shown, and while its beauty 
lies in its simplicity, it is quite as inexpensive as it is at¬ 
tractive. 


290 







FIG. 4 -A BEDROOM 















































_INDOO R B OO K F OR BO Y S_ 

Pink is the general tone, and the wood-work is painted 
cream color or light ivory. Four feet and six inches above 
the floor a rail is run around the room, and between it and 
the surbase vertical strips are made fast to divide the 
wainscot into panels. 

Plain cartridge or ingrain paper is hung on the wall above 
the surbase, and between the rail and picture-moulding a 
lighter-pink paper is applied. This may be a finely figured 
paper, or a narrow, satin-striped paper that can be had at 
twenty-five to fifty cents a roll. A border paper with gar¬ 
lands and ribbons, to match the shade of the others, may be 
had by the yard or roll in several widths. Light shades of 
soft green or robin’s-egg blue, with white wood-work, al¬ 
ways make an effective and cheerful combination. 

An artistic effect for the door may be secured by making 
thin panels for the upper and lower sections, and covering 
them with a fabric or burlap as near the shade of the paper 
as it can be matched. These are attached to the door with 
a few large, oval-headed nails painted black. Sheet-lead 
escutcheons and hinge-straps can be made and applied to 
the wood with oval-headed upholsterers’ nails painted black. 
Any other metal-work in the room is to be coated black. 

Pink, black, and cream, or pale-green, black, and ivory 
color make pleasing and cheerful combinations for bedroom 
decoration, and they do not become tiresome. 

A feature in this scheme is the mode of suspending small 
pictures from the rail by means of harness-rings and large¬ 
headed nails painted black. The larger pictures hung above 
the rail are arranged so that the bottom of each is on a line 
with or touches the rail. 


292 









PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


A Boy's Room 

The arrangement and scheme for one side of a model 
boy’s room is shown in Fig. 5. In this attractive room the 
wood-work is white, or very light in color, and the walls a 
soft, light-tea or olive green. The border above the pict¬ 
ure-moulding is a light shade of old pink ingrain paper on 
which the wreath and garland border is painted in fresco 
colors or stencilled. 

At one side of the room a generous chest of drawers can 
be built in a corner, and three feet up from the floor a long 
drop-ledge may be made fast to the wall and arranged so 
that hinge-brackets will support it. When not in use for 
drawing or studying, the brackets can be folded in against 
the wall and the ledge dropped down. Above this ledge, 
and extending from the chest of drawers to a window or 
door, a compartment - nest of shelves may be made from 
three boards with shorter ones for partitions. This is sup¬ 
ported every two feet of its length with brackets screwed 
securely to the under side of the bottom shelf and to the 
wall. At the top it is also secured with small strips of 
metal screwed fast to the back edge of the top shelf, and 
through which screws pass into the wall. Short curtains of 
some light material may be hung from a wire stretched 
along the under side of the top shelf and caught up to it in 
one or two places with staples. 

The floor in a boy’s room should be of stained and var¬ 
nished narrow boards over which a rug can be thrown. 
This makes it possible for the outer edges of the floor to be 
wiped up frequently, and does not allow dust to settle at 

293 












FIG. ft-A BOY S STUDY ROOM 































































PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


the corners or edges as it would in a carpet. All the metal¬ 
work, such as gas-brackets, hinges, hasps, escutcheons, han¬ 
dles, and catches, should be given a coat or two of black 
finish, which will lend them the appearance of being wrought 
iron. 

Another Boy's Room 

The panelled wainscot in Fig. 6 is formed of vertical 
strips of wood four inches wide and four feet high, mounted 
above the surbase. On top of these a six-inch band of 
wood is carried all around the room, on which a five-inch 
ledge is mounted, the latter being supported on brackets 
which line with the centre of the vertical strips. The doors, 
door and window casings, surbase, and wainscot-rails are 
painted white, and all the hardware is black. 

Hinge-straps of lead are cut and fastened to the doors 
and casings with large, oval-headed nails. To cover the 
panels in the doors, one large panel is made from thin wood. 
It is covered with burlap and nailed fast to the side of the 
door facing the room, with large-headed nails, or mock nail- 
heads not less than one inch in diameter. Four-inch ledges 
are placed over the door and window casings. These are 
supported by brackets at the ends that line with the mid¬ 
dle of the casing uprights. 

The walls above the wainscot-ledge are papered, and the 
panels in the wainscot are covered with burlap glued to 
the wall. The burlap on the panels and doors may be in 
a coffee or light-brown color, and the paper should then 
be a light shade of old green. The ceiling is tinted light 
buff. 


295 

































PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


A Nursery 

If a boy has some younger brothers or sisters, he can fix 
up their room or nursery in some such manner as shown in 
Fig. 7. The walls are to be cleaned and sized; then the 
wood-work is painted white, and a toy ledge or rail is made 
fast with small brackets, two feet and six inches up from 
the floor, or about on a line with the window-sills. 

The lower part of the wall is to be covered with dark- 
colored burlap, and above the ledge a lighter-colored burlap 
or denim is applied with heavy paste, to which a handful 
of glue has been added. 

Another but narrower rail is made fast to the wall about 
on a line with the middle rib of the windows. Above that 
the walls and ceiling are painted in imitation of the blue 
sky with fleecy white clouds floating about. Paint in some 
birds flying in the air, and one or two perched on the tops of 
the window and door casings. If this work is well done it 
will have a very realistic appearance. Pictures may be hung 
above the toy ledge and under the top strip by means of 
large rings painted black. 

Stencilling 

The art of stencilling, although a very old one, is con¬ 
stantly being revived through the efforts of amateur crafts¬ 
men. Many of the art textiles now to be had in the art 
and dry-goods stores have printed patterns in imitation of 
this style of decoration. Nothing in the way of machine¬ 
printing, however, can equal the hand-stencilled fabrics. 

Simple figures are easily stencilled on fabrics, papers, or 

297 





>wrmwnvw< «*-.w w ' 






' 


^W^Vrt'6V»Wif^ 
















v^ fi /ylw' 

'mfflmk : 






w^m«: 


^VAvy^-^^. 






FIG. 7—A NURSERY 

















































































PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


walls, and the beginner will be wise in using the small, 
clearly defined figures; then, as proficiency is acquired, the 
more intricate and ornate patterns and designs may be em¬ 
ployed. Every young craftsman should cut his own stencil- 
plates from fibre or oil-board. It should be about the thick¬ 
ness of two ordinary calling-cards, and stiff enough to hold 
its shape. The design is drawn directly on the material, 
or on a piece of brown paper, and then transferred to the 
board. With a sharp knife-blade the outline is carefully cut, 
taking care to leave the bridges which are necessary to hold 
the parts together. This is clearly shown in Fig. 8, which is 
a small stencil for a fleur-de-lis. In Fig. 9 A the effect is 
shown after the pigment has been applied to the fabric or 
wall. If the ornament had been printed or stamped, how¬ 
ever, it would have been made without any breaks, or as 
shown in Fig 9 B. 

Fresco colors should be employed for stencilling on walls, 
but on fabrics aniline colors or diluted oil-paints may be 
used to good advantage. When preparing colors for fab¬ 
rics, the tube oil-paints, or body colors ground in oil, should 
be employed. They should be thinned with benzine, and 
placed in the bottom of a dish or saucer, so that the stencil¬ 
brush will take up the colors at the tip ends of the bristles. 
Fresco colors for walls should be used thick, or about the 
consistency of rich cream, while those of oil or aniline need 
not be thicker than milk. Regular stencil-brushes must be 
used for this work. Such brushes may be had at any paint 
store, and will appear as shown in Fig. 10. Stencil-brushes 
are round, something like a shaving-brush, but the bristles 
are stiffer and are stubbed or cut square at the ends. 

299 




INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

When cutting your stencils, keep turning the oil-board 
so that you always make the cut towards you. Lay the 



TIG. <5. 



Tig-, ii. 




FlGrlO. 



T I Gr. I %. 


TlCr.13. 


material on a smooth piece of close-grained wood, or a 
sheet of zinc, and hold your knife with the blade in a ver¬ 
tical position, and not to one side or the other. Do not 

300 














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































PAINTING, DECORATING, AND STENCILLING 


make bevelled cuts. Straight ones are necessary or there 
will be smeared edges. 

For a stencil-plate to make the garland and ribbon border 
shown in the frieze of the room (Fig. 4), a one-half section 
only is necessary (see Fig. 11). The full length of a gar¬ 
land is marked on the wall by indicated dots, with chalk 
or pencil; then the half garlands are stencilled all around 
the room. When completed, the stencil-plate is carefully 
wiped off; then it is reversed and the remaining halves are 
done. The stencil-plate for the wreath ribbon and garland 
border shown in the room (Fig. 5) is illustrated at Fig. 12. 
This is a half garland and wreath, and is used as described 
for Fig. 11. The stencil-plate shown in Fig. 13 can be 
used as the frieze or border in Fig. 6. This is an empire 
design, and its dignity and beauty make it a fitting orna¬ 
ment for any room in a house. 









Chapter XX 


NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


HERE is always a demand in the house for convenient 



1 places in which books, pamphlets, magazines, and papers 
may be kept, thus avoiding the necessity of scattering them 
over tables and shelves that are properly reserved for other 
things. Regular bookcases are suitable for a library, ar¬ 
ranged especially for the purpose of harboring books, but 
for the sitting-room, bedroom, or hall the odd rack, shelf, 
hanging cabinet, or convenient nook is an acceptable ad¬ 
dition to the ordinary furniture. 

Among the following illustrations may be found a variety 
of ideas in book receptacles. Any of them can be made 
at home by the boy craftsman, of inexpensive materials 
that may be at hand, or cheaply purchased from a car¬ 
penter. 

All of these designs are entirely practical, and may be 
constructed with the aid of ordinary tools, the joints, laps, 
and matched edges being of the simplest forms. The 
staining, decorating, and finishing of these pieces of odd 
furniture are easily within the average boy’s ability, and if 
the instructions are carefully followed the results should be 
most satisfactory. 


302 


NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


A Wall-rack 

Of these designs the wall-rack (Fig. i) is perhaps the 
easiest to construct, since it is formed of but three shelves 
and some narrow rails. 

A convenient size will be from twenty-seven to thirty- 
six inches long, twenty inches high (from top to bottom 
shelf), and eight inches deep. The extreme height from 
top to bottom, along the middle wall strip, is about thirty- 
eight inches. The wood should be three-quarters of an 
inch in thickness, planed on both sides, and free from knots 
or sappy places. The strips, excepting the centre-piece at 
the back, measure two and a half inches in width, and 
where one crosses another a lap is cut in each, as shown in 
Fig. 2. This may be done with a fine saw and chisel, and 
the joint held firmly with glue. Where the shelves join the 
uprights at the ends a groove is cut in the end-rails to re¬ 
ceive the ends of the shelves, as shown in Fig. 3. The 
curved sections of the rails, the back-board, and the tops 
of the upright strips at the back should be cut with a com¬ 
pass-saw and afterwards sand-papered or dressed down with 
a wood-file. All the edges of the wood - work should be 
rounded by means of a small plane or sand-paper, since 
sharp corners are not desirable on useful furniture. 

Long screws should be driven through the end-strips and 
into the ends of the shelves to hold them firmly in place. 
To cover the screw-heads and lend them the appearance of 
being large, wrought-headed nails, false heads should be 
made from scraps of thick sheet-lead and attached to the 
wood with slim, steel - wire nails. To make these heads, 

303 








_IN^DOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

disks three-quarters of an inch in diameter are cut from 
sheet-lead with a cold-chisel and mallet, the work being 
imposed on the upturned face of an old flat-iron. With 
a light hammer the edges are beaten to give them the 



appearance of anvil-made nails, such as were used years 
ago in decorations, and on antique chests, doors, leather- 
covered furniture, and walls laid in tooled leather. These 
nails were hand-made, and crude but artistic in appearance; 
they are always effective when used in connection with 
leather and wood-work. 

The ornament under the lower shelf of the rack is drawn 
on the bare wood, and tinted in colors to match the natural 
flowers and leaves. Use oil-paints thinned slightly with 

3°4 





















NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


turpentine, so as to give the appearance of a stain or dye 
rather than of an opaque color. All the wood-work is then 
stained some desired shade, and the outline of the orna¬ 
ment is either burned pyrographically or lined with dark- 
brown paint in imitation of a burned line. A bluish-gray 
is a pretty color for this wall-rack, and it can be made by 
thinning Payne’s gray and adding a small proportion of 
any good blue, such as cobalt, ultramarine, or cerulean. 
The stain should be applied thin, with a flat brush, and 
then partially wiped off with a soft rag. When dry, a coat 
or two of shellac will give a lustre to the stain, hold the 
color, and render an egg-shell gloss to the wood-work. (See 
Chapter XII. for instruction in Pyrography.) 

A Book-nest 

A book-nest of quaint shape is shown in Fig. 4. It 
is formed of a back - board, two shelves, three brackets, 
and two slats that connect the shelves at the ends. This 
is a small piece of furniture and is intended to fill a small 
space; it should be from eighteen to twenty-four inches 
long. The shelves should be ten inches apart, and the 
under side of the lower one is supported by a long bracket, 
at the middle of which small corner shelves are arranged, 
as shown in the illustration. Holes may be made in these 
brackets, through which the stems of pipes can be inserted. 
The curved parts of the wall-plate are cut with a compass- 
saw and finished off with a wood-file. 

It is not necessary that this home-made furniture should 
be absolutely smooth or the lines perfectly straight. A 

30S 


20 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


slight variation from the manner in which shop-made fur¬ 
niture is constructed adds to the effectiveness of these 
book-racks and holders, and gives them the rough-and- 
ready artistic appearance that is characteristic of the “mis¬ 
sion” and other popular styles of modern craftsmanship. 


Another Book-rack 

A simple arrangement of shelves in the form of a book- 
rack is shown in Fig. 5. Where there is room to accom¬ 
modate a small standing receptacle of this nature, this de¬ 
sign will be found both useful and ornamental. 

The top shelf is about forty-two inches high from the 
floor, and in width the rack may be made to fill the avail¬ 
able space, say from two to four feet. The corner-posts 
are of wood two inches square, and where the shelves are 
attached portions of . the wood are cut away, as shown in 
Fig. 6. The shelf corners are cut out in such a manner 
that half an inch of the shelf edge enters the post, where 
it is held in place by means of glue and screws. 

The screw-heads are covered with false nail-heads of 
lead. These, when finished, should be painted a dead black 
in imitation of wrought iron. An old green or a weathered 
oak color would be appropriate for this rack. 

A Corner-nook 

For the corner of a room where space is valuable an idea 
is suggested for a corner-nook (see Fig. 7). This is nothing 
more than a well-made box arranged with wall-plates that 

3°6 











NOOKS FOR BOOKS 



extend down below the bottom of the box, and to which 
the ornamental wood-work over the box is attached. 

The wings, or angle-shelves, and the brackets at the sides 
should be made to conform with the general proportions of 
the design. The working construction is so clearly shown 
that it is not necessary to minutely describe the smaller 
details. JThe shelves should be nine inches apart, and the 
width of the box must be governed by the space that can 
be allotted to it. The ornament at the bottom of the wall- 
plate is painted on, and then outlined with a dark-brown 
paint or burned. The wood-work is tinted an olive-green, 
or other desirable color, then shellacked. 

A Book-tower 

An odd but useful piece of furniture is shown in the 
illustration of a book - tower (Fig. 8). It is suitable 

307 














INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

for the corner of a room where the available space is 
limited. 

This tower should be twelve or fourteen inches square 
and about seven feet high. The corner-posts are two inches 
square and the shelves three-quarters or seven-eighths of 
an inch in thickness. The shelves are let into the posts (as 
shown in Fig. 6) and securely fastened with long screws. 
The side slats are of thin wood. They are let into the 
edges of the shelves, where they may be fastened with glue 
and long, slim, steel-wire nails. Each joint or attachment 
should be finished with a lead nail-head, which should be 
painted black. 

A very good dead-black paint for metals is made by 
thinning shellac to the consistency of milk, then adding 
some dry lamp-black until it is about the thickness of 
cream. This is applied in thin coats with a soft, flat brush. 
If one coat does not thoroughly cover the metal, another 
may be applied after the first one is absolutely dry. 

Around the top of this book-tower a rail is arranged three 
or four inches above the top shelf, to serve as a guard 
for articles of bric-a-brac placed thereon. With the ar¬ 
rangement of slats shown in the drawing, the books are 
distributed in such a manner that the titles may be read 
from both directions instead of from one side only. 


Hanging-shelves 

A unique design for hanging-shelves is shown in Fig. 9. 
For general use the rack should be thirty inches long, the 
ends thirty inches high, and the shelves seven inches wide. 

308 






NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


The space between the shelves should be ten or eleven 
inches, while the total height of the middle back strip is 
thirty-six inches. The other parts should be made in pro¬ 
portion to the drawing, and where the shelves join the sides 
mortises should be cut, through which to pass tongued ends, 
the latter being fashioned on the shelf ends, as shown in 
Fig. io. With a brace and bit holes are made to receive 
wooden pins, or keys, that will lock the wood-work together. 



Olive-green will be an appropriate color for the wood¬ 
work. When attached to the wall, care should be taken 
to anchor it firmly and with heavy screws to the studs be¬ 
hind the plaster. 

3°9 














INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


A Book-castle 

In the design for a book-castle (Fig. n) the shelves and 
rails are arranged in such a manner that books may be 
slipped in from the front and also from both sides. The 






lower shelf is devoted to large volumes, portfolios, or serial 
publications in large sheets. The top shelf and the one 
under it are for volumes of medium size, while the small 
deck above the shelves makes a convenient receptacle for 
magazines. 

The wood-work should be stained and varnished, or paint¬ 
ed to match the trim of the room. 



310 
















NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


A Book-chair 

A novel idea is shown in the illustration of a book-chair 
(Fig. 12). A Morris chair may be made over on this plan, 
if the side spindles are removed and the receptacle is con¬ 
structed beneath the seat. A very low Morris chair can¬ 
not be used, however, since the available space between 
the seat-rail and the floor is too cramped. Both sides of 
the chair are arranged to receive books, and at the front 
a wooden panel is fitted below the seat-rail, as shown in 

Fig. 13- 

Cushions of burlap, tapestry cloth, or canterbury cloth 
may be made to fit the seat and back; they are held on 
with straps. The cushions may be filled with feathers, 
curled hair, cocoa fibre, moss or even cotton batting. 
Javanese kapok is perhaps the best of the lower grade 
material. It costs twenty-five cents a pound, and takes 
about two and a half pounds for a chair. 

The ornament at the front of the chair is painted on and 
outlined with the pyrographic point; or a dark-brown line 
may be painted on with a fine brush. 

A Book-table 

For a library or sitting-room, the book-table shown in 
Fig. 14 will be found a convenient and useful piece of fur¬ 
niture. 

A good size for this table is: length, forty-two inches; 
width, twenty-four inches; and height, thirty inches. The 
drop-shelves at the ends should be nine inches below the 

311 






_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS _ 

top of the table, while the drawer need not be more than 
four inches deep. The legs are two and a half inches or 
three inches square. The slats at the sides of the book¬ 
shelves are let into the table-top and the shelf (see Fig. 15) 



and apparently anchored by means of large nail-heads. The 
top is attached to the frame by means of cleats screwed 
fast to the top inner edges of the rails. Through these cleats 
screws are passed up and into the under side of the table- 
top, as shown in Fig. 16. 

White-wood is a good material of which to make the 

table, since it takes a stain nicely. Finish with a coat or 

two of shellac. 

% 


3 12 




































NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


A Magazine-rack 

A convenient rack for magazines and periodicals is shown 
in Fig. 17. 

The rack has three shelves and an enclosure at the top 
to hold extra large pamphlets. The two uprights and the 
cross-strip at the top are three-quarters of an inch thick and 
two and a half inches wide. The uprights are twenty-four 
inches long, and the cross-piece measures eighteen inches 
from tip to tip. Four inches from the top the uprights 
are cut, as shown in Fig. 18 A, so that a lap-joint can be 
formed. The uprights are spaced ten inches apart from 
the inside edges, making the total width fifteen inches. 

From half-inch wood cut three shelves fifteen inches long 



and six inches wide; also two corner-posts from wood an 
inch square. Cut the end of each shelf as shown in Fig. 
18 B, so that one notch will fit against the upright and the 

3 X 3 




























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


other against the corner-post. From the half-inch wood cut 
two brackets three inches long and two and a half inches 
wide at the top, as shown at Fig. 18 C. These hold up 
the bottom shelf, and the other shelves are supported in 
turn by the corner-posts and the back, to which the shelves 
are securely attached with screws and glue. The corner- 
posts are fifteen inches high, and near the top laps are cut 
half an inch deep and one inch wide into which a cross-rail 
will fit. Three thin slats one inch in width and six inches 
long are made fast across the front, and above the top shelf, 
to form the pamphlet or periodical rack. The nail and 
screw heads may be covered with brass upholsterers’ tacks 
painted black to suggest the idea of a large nail, or imita¬ 
tion wrought-iron nail-heads may be made by cutting disks 
out of sheet-lead and slightly beating the edges so as to 
imitate the hammer-marks of wrought-iron work. These 
disks are secured to the wood with slim steel nails, the 
heads of which, when driven in with a light hammer, be¬ 
come imbedded in the soft lead. A subsequent coating of 

4 

black paint will conceal the nail-heads completely. 

A Box Book-case 

Fig. 19 is an idea for a receptacle for a few books, bric-h- 
brac, and some magazines to hang against the wall. Boxes 
of various sizes may be used for this purpose, according to 
the available wall space, but for general use two shoe- 
cases should be cut down so as to make them thirty inches 
high and seven inches deep. In each one two shelves can 
be arranged. 

3i4 






NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


The boxes are held together at top and bottom with 
boards seven inches wide and thirty-six inches long. Be¬ 
tween the boxes a shelf may be fastened about midway 
between the top and bottom boards. A wooden back is 
not necessary to this case, as the wall itself will answer the 
purpose; but around the top edge a strip of cornice-mould¬ 
ing is to be mitred at the corners and attached with long, 
slim nails or screws. Under the lower corners wooden 
brackets may be fastened to the wall, or when the shoe- 
cases are being cut down one side may be trimmed, with 
the compass-saw, in the form of a bracket end. A rod fast¬ 
ened at the top and under the moulding will support light 
curtains, but this last feature may be omitted at pleasure. 

A Nursery Book-rack 

A nursery is not quite complete without some receptacle 
for the accommodation of the children’s scrap and picture 
books. A simple and useful design is shown in Fig. 20. 

A well-made box of thin boards, planed on both sides, 
forms the basis for this bookcase. It should be of medium 
size and not more than seven inches deep. Remove one 
side or the top, so as to leave it open at the front, and ar¬ 
range a shelf in the open space. The box should be at least 
sixteen inches high to accommodate two rows of books, 
and it would be better to have it eighteen inches. Two 
brackets eight inches high and six inches wide at the top 
are placed under each end of the box. Across the top, at 
the back, a wall-plate is cut and attached with two slim 
screws that pass down through the narrow part near the 

3i5 







INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

ends and into the back of the box at the top. Around the 
top of the box a narrow strip of moulding should be mitred 
and fastened with steel-wire nails. The wood-work may 
then be given a coat of stain and shellac. Across the front 



of the box and at the top a brass or iron rod may be at¬ 
tached at the ends, from which curtains are suspended by 
means of rings. 

When fastening this case to the wall, it would be well 
to drive two or three screws through the back of the box 
and into the wall-studding, otherwise the weight of books 
might tear it away from its bracket anchorage. 

Another Book-rack 

In Fig. 21 an odd shape for a book-rack is shown. 

This is also made from a box by removing one side and 
resetting it closer to the other side. A portion of the 

3 l6 













_NOOKS FOR BOOKS 

lower end is sawed off, and a part of the bottom is cut away 
so as to form a small, quarter-circular bracket. The ex¬ 
tending upper end of the box is supported with a short 
bracket, as the illustration clearly shows, and under the 
box two large brackets ten inches deep and the width 
of the back and side support the rack in position. Two 
wall-plates four inches high at the angle are attached at 
the top of the box with screws. A curtain-rod is attached 
at the top of the case from which a curtain may be hung, 
and the ledge formed by the top of the case and the quar¬ 
ter - circular bracket will accommodate a few pieces of 
bric-a-brac or a photograph frame or two. If the box is 
high enough, two shelves may be arranged so that three 
lines of books can be accommodated; otherwise one shelf 
will have to suffice. 

A Handy Piece of Furniture 

A place to put books and a place to keep bats, golf-clubs, 
lacrosse-sticks, and other things that are always around, is 
a convenient possession. 

Here is a solution of the problem: The case shown in 
Fig. 22 should be about five feet six inches high and three 
feet wide. The shelf across the top would hold a number 
of books, and underneath are two beautiful tuck-away 
places. If, my friend, you are a college boy, the curtain 
could be of your college colors; the rest of the case stained 
a becoming color. The door is fastened by a big wooden 
latch, and a pair of iron hinges would add very much to the 
style of the bookcase. 

If, however, you are of a studious frame of mind, and 

3i7 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

have been fortunate enough to collect a number of books, 
the second case would probably be more to your liking. 

We will suppose that you have already a desk. Make 
two upright rows of bookshelves far enough apart to al¬ 
low the desk to be placed between them. Shut off the 
lower part of the shelves, on each side, with a door, which 
may be decorated with iron hinges or blackened metal. 
These false hinges are of course placed against the real 



ones on which the door swings, and are purely ornamental. 
These little closets make fine places in which to store un¬ 
sightly books and magazines which look untidy but which 
one always wants to keep. There is a shelf over the top 
of the desk on which could be placed a row of plates, a 
tankard, or photographs; and a poster or nice little etching 
would give interest to the big panel. This panel, by-the- 

318 

























































































































































NOOKS FOR BOOKS 


way, need not be made of wood, but could be closed in by 
a piece of colored burlap or buckram. The case would then 
have to be braced by three slats of wood nailed across the 
back behind the buckram. When completed it will appear 
as shown in Fig. 23. 

A Book-ledge and Stool 

Two interesting and useful pieces of furniture are shown 
in the drawing of a book-ledge and stool (Fig. 24), and as 
the main shelf is but fourteen inches wide it will not occupy 
a great deal of space in a room. 

The main shelf is forty-two inches long, fourteen wide, 
and one inch and a quarter thick. The side pieces, or legs, 
supp rting it are twelve inches wide and thirty-three inches 
high, with V-shaped pieces cut from the foot of each one. 
These pieces are thirty-six inches apart, and arranged be¬ 
tween them, and twenty inches above the floor an under 
ledge eight inches wide is fastened with long screws and 
brackets. Nine inches above the main ledge a top shelf 
is supported on side legs, which, in turn, are propped at 

the outside with wood braces, or blocks, six inches high 

• 

and four inches wide at the bottom. The side supports 
are placed the same distance apart as the under-side pieces, 
and are held in position on the top of the main ledge with 
short dowels, or pegs, driven in their under end, and which 
fit into holes bored in a corresponding position in the ledge. 
This upper section may be omitted, however, if the plain 
ledge is preferred. 

The stool is twelve inches square and twenty-two inches 

3 1 9 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


high. The top is covered with a stout square of leather 
caught all around the edges with nails and imitation nail- 
heads. The lower rails that bind the posts together are 
one and three-quarter inches wide and seven-eighths of an 



inch thick. The posts are one and three-quarter inches 
square, and the rails are let into them three inches up from 
the floor. The top rails are the same width, and all let into 
the top of the posts with the lap-joint union, where they are 
glued and screwed fast. Small brackets under these rails 
will add an element of support, and they can be dressed 
out of seven-eighths-inch wood with a compass-saw, and 
made fast with glue and screws. These brackets are com¬ 
paratively small, being two and a half inches wide and four 
inches deep, but they must be cut accurately to fit well. 












Chapter XXI 

CLOCKS AND TIMEPIECES 

AMONG the many useful and attractive pieces of fur- 
niture that a boy can make to help furnish a home, 
clocks and timepieces offer a good field for endeavor. Now, 
a clock is more often looked at than any other piece of fur¬ 
niture; consequently, it should be a thing of beauty rather 
than a distracting eyesore. And, since it is no more expen¬ 
sive to construct a clock on good lines than on poor ones, 
there is no reasonable excuse for the inartistic, common¬ 
place designs that are displayed for sale by jewelers, de¬ 
partment stores, and house-furnishing shops. 

Several good designs for simple and artistic cases are 
shown on. the following pages, and none of them are too 
intricate to be made at home by the boy who has gained 
some knowledge in the handling of tools. There is nothing 
in their construction that requires the services of a cabinet¬ 
maker, and the movements may be had from a clock-manu¬ 
facturer, or perhaps taken out of an old or unsightly case. 
For instruction in the use of the pyrographic-point, see 
Chapter XII. 

Thin white-wood or pine boards, sheet-lead, stain, and 
shellac are some of the simple materials needed; and the 
2i 321 


_ INDOOR BO OK F OR BOYS_ 

tools required will be those that may be found in every 
household, such as a saw, hammer, plane, awl, square, 
mallet, compass-saw, and brace and bit. Some steel-wire 
nails, glue, sand-paper, and black paint will complete the 
list of necessaries, and the various small accessories may be 
had at a hardware store at a nominal outlay. 

A Bracket-clock 

A design for a simple bracket-clock is shown in Fig. i, 
and the case is so plain in construction that any smart boy 
can easily make it from thin pieces of board half an inch in 
thickness, half a yard of burlap, and some sheet-lead. 

The box part of the clock is eight inches square and three 
and a half inches deep. The brackets are extensions of the 
sides, cut as shown in Fig. 2 A; they drop eight inches below 
the bottom-board of the case. The dial and glass frame 
measure six inches in diameter, and to fit them to the box 
it will be necessary to cut a hole in the front of the case 
five and a half inches in diameter, as shown in Fig. 2 B. 
The shelf-top to the box is bevelled at the under side, and 
is attached by means of glue and nails; it overhangs one 
and a half inches at the front and ends. The sides and 
front of the box are then covered with tinted burlap in a 
soft, old-green, red, or tan shade, and the exposed wood¬ 
work is stained a color to match. When dry it is given 
a coat or two of thin shellac to lend a lustre to the grain 
and stain. 

« 

To hide the joint between the cap and the body of the 
clock, a round piece of wood, such as a dowel, should be 

3 22 






_CLOCKS AND TIMEPIECES _ 

inserted and nailed fast; or a narrow strip of picture-mould¬ 
ing can be used. 

If it is impossible to find the large nails that bind the 
corners at a hardware store, they may be made from sheet- 
lead. Disks half an inch in diameter are cut from the lead 
by means of a small cold-chisel and mallet. The edges of 
the disks are beaten with a tack-hammer to give them the 
appearance of a rough, hammer-headed nail. These disks 
are painted with a dead-black paint, made by adding a 
small portion of dry lamp-black to thin shellac, and ap¬ 
plying it to the metal-work with a soft brush. These heads 



are attached to the clock, as shown in the illustration, at 
regular distances apart, with thin, small-headed, steel-wire 
nails, which when driven in and painted with the black 
preparation become invisible. 

The movement, which may be of either the spring or 
weight kind, is attached to the back of the case before the 
dial is made fast, and the pendulum-rod is dropped through 
a slot cut in the bottom-board. 

If the mounting is bothersome, however, a clock-maker 

323 















































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


will arrange it and adjust the dial and space the hands 
properly. 

A metal hanger at the top and two long, slim screws 
driven through the bottom of each bracket will hold this 
clock in place against the wall. 

A Mantel-clock 

A simple but artistic mantel-clock is shown in Fig. 3. 
It is seven inches wide, thirteen inches high, and three and a 
half inches deep. It is made from thin white-wood, pine, 
cypress, or almost any soft wood. 

The top, or cap, is of half-inch wood, and it projects one 
and a half inches beyond the front and sides. A small 
moulding, or a dowel, is cut and mitred around the top 
under the cap. At the bottom the feet are made by cut¬ 
ting out pieces of the wood with a compass-saw. A small 
pendulum movement is mounted against the back before 
the dial and glass frame are set in place. 

The ornament on the front and sides is outlined with 
pencil, and after the wood-work is stained a soft-brown, 
an old-green, or any desired shade, the lines of the orna¬ 
ment are pyrographically burned. Or they may be paint¬ 
ed with a dark-brown paint in imitation of pyrography. 
Below the ornament a half-inch band of sheet-lead is laid 
around the body of the clock and held on with large, oval¬ 
headed upholsterers’ nails painted black. 

A Wall-clock 

An attractive wall-clock is shown in Fig. 4. page 327. 
With a movement having a fifteen-inch pendulum, the case 

324 










CLOCKS AND TIMEPIECES 


should be ten inches wide, twenty-four inches high, and four 
inches deep. A circular opening is made at the upper end of 
the box, and an oblong one at the lower end through which 
the pendulum may be seen. The box is covered with burlap 
in some desirable shade; it is applied with glue and large¬ 
headed nails, or dummy heads. 

The ornamental design is cut from sheet-lead and ap¬ 
plied with slim, steel-wire nails. The frame around the 
lower opening is cut from lead and applied over a piece of 
glass which is cut and fitted to the opening. The stems to 
the buds are made of thin telegraph wire, bent to the proper 
shape, and applied with small staples made from pins. 

The top is cut from white-wood five-eighths of an inch 
thick; it overhangs the sides and front two inches. Where 
the top is applied to the body of the clock, the joint is hid¬ 
den with a small strip of moulding, or a dowel mitred at the 
corners, and attached with slim, steel-wire nails. 

The large nail-heads all along the edges are made from 
sheet-lead beaten to represent wrought-iron bellows-nails, 
and fastened on with thin, steel nails, and afterwards paint¬ 
ed black. 

The bottom of the box should be arranged on hinges, and 
caught with a small bolt so that it may be dropped in order 
to start the pendulum, and also to adjust the screw at the 
bottom of the rod. 

A pleasing combination of colors for this case will be 
light, olive-green burlap, black metal-work, and old-brown 
wood-work. The pendulum-ball may be of bright brass or 
blackened. Equally effective are combinations of red bur¬ 
lap and brass trimmings, or old-gold-colored burlap and 

325 









_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYSj__ 

Pompeian-green metal-work, made by tinting all the metal 
parts with a light and dark olive-green paint blended to¬ 
gether on the parts. 


A High Wall-clock 

For the space over a mantel, or wherever it may be con¬ 
venient to hang it, a substantial high wall-clock is shown 
in Fig. 5. It is ten inches wide, thirty inches high at the 
front, and four inches deep, with the bracket-ends and the 
fancy top-pieces extending five or six inches beyond the 
body of the clock at top and bottom. 

In construction it is somewhat on the lines of the “mis¬ 
sion” furniture, the pieces being tongued and pinned, with 
a heavy slatted front. 

The wood-work is five-eighths of an inch in thickness. 
The cross-rails are two inches in width, and the upright 
ones and the lattice are one and a quarter inches in width. 
The ends of the cross-pieces are shaped as shown in Fig. 6. 
When passed through mortises cut in front of the side boards 
they are held in place with wooden pins. 

At the back, near the top and bottom, two-inch cross¬ 
strips are let into the side boards. The ends should pro¬ 
ject two inches beyond the boards at both sides, and holes 
are made in them through which screws are passed to an¬ 
chor the clock to the wall. 

An eight-day movement, with a twelve-inch pendulum, 
is made fast to a back-board, and on the front-board, to 
cover a hole eight inches in diameter, a large dial and glass 
are fastened. 


326 











HANGING AND MANTEL CLOCKS 

























_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

The ornament at the sides and on the front-board around 
the dial is cut with a carving-chisel, and tinted to darken 
the lines. Stain and varnish will be a desirable finish; or 
the stain alone may be used should an old, dull appearance 
be desired. 


An Odd Mantel-clock 

The design for a mantel-clock that is odd in shape and 
striking in appearance is shown in Fig. 7. It is seven 
inches wide at the top, underneath the cap, and ten inches 
across at the base. In width it varies from three inches 
at the top to four and a half inches at the base. 

The case is made from three - eighths - inch white-wood 
and joined with glue and nails. The top is of core-mould¬ 
ing that may be had at a carpenter-shop or planing-mill. 
It is mitred to fit at the front and ends. 

The metal straps are of lead and the ornament is tinted 
and outlined. A great deal of the beauty of this design is 
in its coloring, and, unfortunately, this cannot be repro¬ 
duced. The wood-work is in light golden-brown, the buds 
in orange, toning down to a deep red at the base, or similar 
to the colorings of the California poppy. The stems and 
leaves are in several shades of green, and the entire orna¬ 
ment is lined by the pyrographic-point, or painted with a 
line in dark brown. The straps, nails, and glass frame are 
in dead black, and the cap-moulding is in a darker shade 
of brown than that employed for the body color of the case. 
A pale, old-pink dial, on which black numerals are painted, 
completes this harmonious color-scheme. 

328 








CLOC KS AND TIMEPIECES 


A Shelf-clock 

A quaint clock is shown in Fig. 8, and it is quite as sim¬ 
ple to construct as it is in appearance. 

It is fourteen inches wide, twelve inches high, and four 
and a half inches in depth. A six-inch dial and glass are 
mounted on the front, and in the bottom of the movement- 
box a narrow slot is cut to accommodate the swing of the 
pendulum-rod. 

White-wood boards three-eighths of an inch in thickness 



3 2 9 








































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


are fastened to corner-posts, having the two upper sides cut 
away as shown in Fig. 9. Laps are cut at the lower end 
of each corner-post into which the rail fits, as also shown in 

Fig- 9 ‘ 

The same general description given for the other cases 
applies to this one, and after the ornament is stained and 
lined the surface of the wood may be lightly lined from top 
to bottom with the pyrographic-point. 


An Old-style Timepiece 

A case of old-fashioned design is shown in Fig. 10. 

The top measures eight inches square; the waist is five 
inches wide and twelve inches long; and the base is six 
inches high and twelve inches long. Two bars are fastened 
from the top to the base; they pitch at a slight angle. 

The average depth is four inches, and the top, or head, 
extends out over the waist for a quarter of an inch, or 
enough to make a break in the straight line of the front. 

The ornamentation is carried out as described for the 
other designs, and if properly constructed this clock should 
present a very unique appearance. 





Chapter XXII 

SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 

A MONG the many convenient pieces of furniture that 
k a boy can make for the home, there are, perhaps, none 
that are so handy and generally useful as screens, shoe- 
boxes, and settles of various kinds. 

Screens in particular are of so many and varied de¬ 
signs that it would be quite impossible in this short chap¬ 
ter to give more than a few of the simpler forms; but 
they will serve as hints for others. 

A Light-screen 

One of the easiest screens to make, and perhaps the most 
generally useful, is that shown in Fig. i. This is a light- 
screen, which may be easily taken from one room to another. 

Four rails of pine or white-wood are cut and tapered at 
one end for the tops, and slightly cut away at the other for 
the bottom, as shown in the illustration. The rails are 
four feet six inches long, two and a half inches in width, 
and seven-eighths of an inch thick. Dowels five-eighths 
of an inch in diameter are used for the cross-sticks. They 
can be purchased at a hardware store or from a cabinet¬ 
maker, and should be cut twenty-four inches long. Holes 

33 1 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


are to be bored in one edge of each strip, into which the 
dowels are driven, and fastened with glue and small nails. 
Four or five dowels will be sufficient for each wing, and 
they should be spaced evenly, the first one four inches be¬ 
low the top of the rails and the bottom one ten inches 
above the floor. 

The wings are fastened together with two or three hinges, 
so that the screen may be folded and stood in a closet or 
behind a door when not in use. 

Some pretty figured material, such as China silk, silkoline, 
cretonne, or printed cotton goods may be used for the 
covering, which is to show on both sides of each wing. It 
should be from three to five feet wide, so as to allow for 
some fulness. One end of the goods is tacked to the top 
dowel; then it is passed around the bottom dowel and 
brought up to the top, where it is again tacked fast. Some 
narrow gimp and brass nails will hide the edges of the 
goods at the top, and to hold the material in place a few 
tacks may be driven along the bottom dowel. 

The wood-work should be painted, or stained and var¬ 
nished, before the covering material is put on. If a dull 
finish is desired, some dark paint may be thinned with tur¬ 
pentine and rubbed on with a soft cloth, then partially 
wiped off and allowed to dry. It will not be necessary to 
varnish or shellac the surface, but a little beeswax can be 
dissolved in turpentine and rubbed on. 

A Fire-screen 

When an open fire is burning on the hearth a screen that 
will protect the eyes from the glare, and yet allow the heat 

332 






SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


to reach the lower part of the body and the feet, is a useful 
piece of furniture. 

A simple screen of this description is shown in Fig. 2, 
and for a living-room or bedroom it should measure thirty- 
six inches long, forty-two inches high, the screen proper 
being eighteen or twenty inches wide. 

The uprights are of wood two inches square, and the 
cross-rails are seven - eighths of an inch thick and two 



inches wide. The joints are mortised and tenoned, and 
held with screws and glue, while the apparent fastenings 
large, round, mock nail-heads. The feet are cut from 

333 


are 























































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


hard-wood seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, as shown 
in Fig. 3, and attached to the bottom of the upright posts 
with glue and screws, the vertical edges of the feet being 
let into a lap cut in the posts. Each foot will then meas¬ 
ure eighteen inches across at the bottom, and twelve inches 
high from the floor to the top of the lap cut in the posts. 

Leather, burlap, denim, tapestry-cloth, or any good cov¬ 
ering fabric, may be used for the screen. This material 
should be tacked on the top and bottom rail with large 
upholsterers’ tacks painted black. 

A design may be lightly drawn on the fabric with a pencil, 
and afterwards painted in oil or water colors, or the orna¬ 
ment may be stencilled on with aniline colors, as described 
in Chapter XIX. 

A Shoe-screen 

For a bedroom a convenient screen is shown in Fig. 4. 
This is properly called a shoe-screen, since there is a ledge 
made fast to the lower part of it to serve as a rest for the 
foot when lacing or buttoning shoes. There are also two 
rows of pockets on the inside of the screen, into which shoes, 
slippers, and sandals can be slipped. 

A convenient size to make this screen is three feet six 
inches high and two feet six inches wide. The foot-ledge 
should not be more than fourteen inches above the floor 
and six inches wide. The frame may be made from any 
easily worked wood, since when it is painted, or stained 
and varnished, nothing but the grain will show. The 
uprights should be three inches wide, seven - eighths of 
an inch thick, and three feet three inches long. Lap or 

334 








SCREENS, SH O E-BOXES, A ND WINDOW-SEATS 

do welled joints should be made at the top corners, and 
at the foot of both pieces notches are to be cut in with 
saw and chisel, as shown at Fig. 5. The foot-pieces may 
then be driven up in place and made fast with screws or 
slim nails driven through the projecting ends of the side 
uprights and into the feet. The feet are of wood seven- 
eighths of an inch thick, sixteen inches long, and six inches 
high. The pattern may be drawn with lead-pencil on the 
wood; then, with a compass-saw, cut the wood on the lines, 
having first clamped the piece in a vise to hold it securely. 
The foot-shelf is made fast to the screen after the covering 
material is in place, and at both ends it is supported with 
brackets, the lower ends of which are made fast with screws. 

A cross-rib should be made fast in the screen-frame mid¬ 
way between the top-rail and the one to which the ledge 
is attached, and a line of tacks is driven through the cov¬ 
ering material and into the frame on both sides. This is 
to give a better finish, and also to support the rows of pock¬ 
ets when full of shoes. 

The strip of denim for the pockets is seven inches wide 
and hemmed on both edges. It is then caught to the cov¬ 
ering material so that generous pockets will be formed, 
each one being large enough to accommodate a pair of shoes. 

The front of the screen may be covered with a fancy- 
figured material fastened on with small tacks; over this a 
gimp to match the material can be laid and held down 
with large-headed tacks, such as may be purchased at uphol¬ 
stery supply stores. The painting, staining, or varnishing 
should, of course, be done before the fabric, or covering 
material, is made fast to the frame. 

335 









INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


A Bedroom-door Screen 

At night it is often agreeable to have a bedroom door 
left open. Yet one does not want to sleep in an actual 
draught, and a screen such as is shown in Fig. 6 will be 
found most useful. 

This screen is in one piece, six feet six inches high and 
eighteen inches wide. The frame is made from pine, 
white-wood, or any other wood to match the trim of the 
room. Two cross-rails are fixed so as to remain equal dis¬ 
tances apart, thus forming three panels to the screen. 
Hinges are arranged at one edge, which in turn are made 
fast to the door-casing, so that when the screen is not in 
use it can be thrown back against the wall; or, if thought 
preferable, eyes may be driven in the casing and hooks in 
the edge of the screen, so that it may swing as if on hinges, 
and yet be lifted off at will and set away in a closet. An 
eye on the door and a hook on the screen will serve as 
a fairly secure fastening against intrusion. Any pretty 
material that matches the paper of the room may be used 
to cover this screen, and the edges should be bound with 
gimp and large-headed tacks to give it a good appearance. 

A Heavy Fire-screen 

For a dining-room, living-room, or library, an attractive 
design for a heavy fire-screen is shown in Fig. 7. This is 
constructed of oak, ash, or other hard-wood. It is thirty- 
six inches wide, forty-two inches high, and the rails and 
feet are one and one-eighth inches thick. The uprights and 

336 






SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


cross-rails are four inches wide, and the top and bottom 
of each upright are cut as shown in Fig. 8. 

The cross-rails should be mortised in the uprights, or 
they may be made fast by butting one end against an edge 
and securing the joint with dowels. The feet are fourteen 
inches across at the bottom and fifteen inches high. They 
are glued and screwed in the laps cut at the lower ends of 
the uprights, and the screw-heads are covered with imita¬ 
tion wrought-iron nail-heads beaten from sheet-lead and 
attached with steel-wire nails, the heads of which are in¬ 
visible when driven into the lead. 

The side of the screen which faces the fire should be cov¬ 
ered with burlap, denim, or other stout cotton fabric. The 
outer side of the screen should be faced with leather, on 
which the ornamental design is followed out with stains 
and pyrography (see Chapter XII). 

The leather should be caught to the frame with tacks 
placed two inches apart, and also glue. Over the tacks 
imitation lead heads may be secured with slim, steel nails. 

A Window-seat with Under Ledge 

In the drawing of the window-seat with under ledge 
(Fig. 9) an odd but useful piece of furniture is shown. It 
is made from two boards fourteen inches wide and forty 
inches long, two end-pieces fifteen inches wide and twenty- 
two inches high, and four brackets eight inches on the 
right-angle edges. These latter are necessary to brace the 
top and ends, as shown in Fig. 10 A A. 

The top shelf, or seat, is eighteen inches high from the 

337 


22 








_INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

floor, and the under ledge is made fast eight inches below 
it. The fastening is made with screws and liquid glue, 
and allowed to stand several hours before the drapery is 
attached. 

For the upholstery material the dry-goods stores offer 
quite a variety of stuffs from which to choose. The least 
expensive are burlap, denim, cretonne, and some of the 
heavy, cotton, printed goods. Other fabrics, richer in ap¬ 
pearance and more lasting, are velour, tapestry-cloth, rep, 
and brocade. Goods of this class will cost from fifty cents 
to several dollars a yard. 

To upholster this seat, obtain some curled hair from an 



338 
































































































SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


old mattress, and spread it over the top board, having first 
tacked a piece of unbleached muslin along one edge of the 
seat. When a sufficient quantity of the hair is on the 
board, draw the muslin over it, and tack it down along the 
other edge and at the ends. Over this the fabric can be 
drawn and tacked. 

The end boards are covered with plain goods of the 
same color as the seat and flounce, and the edges are bound 
with gimp an inch wide, held down with large, oval-headed 
upholsterers’ tacks painted black. Across the back of the 
seat (the part that goes against the wall or window-base) 
plain goods can be drawn and tacked, or it may be left open. 

The front is provided with a flounce made by shirring 
the goods on a stout, cotton cord and tacking it along the 

front of the top board, then covering the tacks with gimp 

> • 

and nails, as shown in the drawing. A coat of paint or 
shellac at the inside will finish the wood-work, and it will 
then be ready for use. 

A Shoe-box Seat 

A shoe-box seat is easily made and upholstered, and will 
be an acceptable addition in any bedroom (see Fig. n). 
The sides are eighteen inches wide, thirty-six inches high 
at the back, and twenty-two inches at the front. The seat 
and ledge under it are each eighteen inches square, and the 
boards forming the back extend down to the floor. The 
parts are put together with screws and glue; then the seat 
is upholstered with curled hair, as described for the window- 
seat (Fig. 9). 


339 













INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



The framework for this seat could be made from a box 
with the bottom and one side removed. The arms should 
be cut from a separate piece of wood and screwed fast, as 
shown in Fig. 12 by the line along the shaded side. 

Plain or figured goods may be used for the covering ma¬ 
terial. It is drawn and caught with tacks at the edges; 
then the joints may be hidden with gimp and large-headed 
tacks. If it is possible to procure some English bellows- 
nails they will add an artistic effect to the trimming. If 
they cannot be had, very good imitation heads may be cut 
from sheet-lead with a pair of old scissors or shears. After 
beating them about the edge to flatten them and lend a 
hand-forged effect, these disks should be attached to the 
wood with long, slim finishing-nails of steel wire, which, 
when driven into the heads, become imbedded in the lead 
and are not seen. They should be painted black with a 
solution of shellac in which some dry lamp-black has been 
mixed to the consistency of cream. Apply with a soft 
brush. 

A Dressing-room Settle 

In the illustration for a dressing-room settle (Fig. 13) a 
comfortable piece of furniture is illustrated, and in Fig. 14 
its construction is clearly indicated. 

The ends are three feet high and sixteen inches wide. 
The back-boards extend from the top of the ends down to 
the floor, and are attached with screws. The seat and 
under ledge should be from thirty to forty-eight inches 
long, according to the space it will occupy against the wall 
or under a window. 


34o 







SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


The upholstering is done as described for the other pieces 
of furniture, save that a more elaborate ornamentation is 
suggested for the end-pieces. The design is drawn in free¬ 
hand, and then embroidered on with heavy linen thread. 
Mother or elder sister will have to help out with the needle¬ 
work. 

A Short Settle 


A short settle with under ledge (Fig. 15) is another com¬ 
fortable piece of bedroom or sitting - room furniture. In 



Fig. 16 the constructional diagram is shown for the ar¬ 
rangement of its sides, back, and under ledge. 

34i 








































































































































_INDOOR BOOK FOR B OYS_ 

The ends are sixteen inches wide and twenty-three inches 
high. The back extends down to the floor, and above the 
ends it curves or rounds over, extending up about five 
inches higher than the tops of the ends. Under the seat 
a strip of wood two and a half inches in width is attached 
at both ends, and the front edge of the seat is screwed fast 
to it. This acts as a support, and obviates the necessity 
of a brace block. 

A Foot-rest 

When putting on shoes it is convenient to have a short 
bench on which to rest the foot, and while a hassock will 
answer well enough, it is not so good as a bench or so easily 
handled. 

Fig. 17 shows a neat foot-bench that is easy to construct 
from four pieces of wood. In Fig. 18 page 345 the plain 
bench is shown, while at B a view of the inverted bench is 
given so that the cross-bar may be seen. 

The top board is eighteen inches long, ten inches wide, 
and an inch thick. The ends, or legs, are seven inches 
high and eight inches wide, with a V notch cut in from the 
bottom of each. These feet are set fourteen inches apart, 
so that there will be two inches of overhang at each end 
of the bench; that is, the top will extend two inches over 
the legs at each end. The brace shown at Fig. 18 B is 
two inches wide, twelve and a half inches long, and an inch 
in thickness. 

The four parts are put together with glue and screws; 
then the top is padded with curled hair and upholstered 
as already described. 


342 










SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


A Combination Shoe-box and Seat 

From two canned-goods boxes the combination shoe-box 
and seat may be made, as shown in Fig. 19, Fig. 20 being 
the structural plan. 

The left-hand box in Fig. 20 has the lid removed, and 
a shelf is inserted so as to divide it into two compart¬ 
ments. The other box is provided with a hinged lid. In- 

* 

stead of making the hinges fast to the edge of the box, a 
strip an inch or two wide should be attached to the rear 
of the box, and to this the lid is hinged, as shown in Fig. 

20. The two boxes are screwed together, and a back is 
provided for the one on the right. The board forming this 
back should extend the entire length of the two boxes, and 
should be secured to them with stout screws. The tops of 
the boxes are padded with hair, and the sides are covered 
with upholstery material of any desirable color and quality, 
the edges being bound with gimp and nails. 

The inside of the low box and the under side of the lid 
should be provided with denim pockets, as shown at Fig. 

21. These pockets are formed by tacking a strip of denim 
to the wood and allowing fulness enough to accommodate 
a pair of shoes or slippers. 

It furnishes the inside of such boxes nicely to line them 
with unbleached muslin tacked at the corners and edges. 
Where wood is exposed in the ledge and shelf seats a coat 
of paint or shellac is desirable. 

A Double Shoe-box and Seat 

Three well-made boxes, two of a size and one longer, will 

343 






INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 




make the foundation for a double shoe-box and seat, such 
as is shown in Fig. 22. 

In Fig. 23 the structural arrangement is indicated. The 
end boxes are provided with two shelves each, and the 





middle one is fitted with a back-board, which is rounded 
over at the top and projects about six inches above the top 
of the end boxes. 

The middle box is provided with a lid and hinges which 
are made fast to a back strip, so that when the lid is raised 
it will not fall again, but will stand out an inch or two from 
the back-boards. 

A Curved-back Window-seat 

Fig. 24 illustrates a useful piece of furniture. The box 
part, or frame, is thirty-eight inches long, sixteen inches 
wide, and fifteen inches high, and the top of the back is 

344 




















SCREENS, SHOE-BOXES, AND WINDOW-SEATS 


fourteen inches above the seat. The structural plan is 
shown in Fig. 25. 

Four inches from the bottom a ledge is arranged, and at 
the middle a division-brace is placed. The unions may be 
made with nails, but screws are preferable. 

The back is made from two boards shaped into a curve 
with a draw-knife and plane and held together with battens, 
as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 25. The battens ex¬ 
tend down behind the back of the box, and the ends are 
made fast with screws to support the back. The back and 
seat are padded with curled hair and covered with un¬ 
bleached muslin, over which the upholstery material is 



















































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


drawn and tacked to the edges. A valance of some pretty 
figured goods to match the seat and back is made, and 
tacked around the upper edge of the box. Wide gimp and 
large-headed upholsterers’ tacks will finish the edge of the 
seat and back, and it would be well to give the wood-work 
a coat or two of paint or stain. 


A Window-seat and Shoe-box 

In the illustration of the window-seat and shoe-box (Fig. 
26) a substantial and useful piece of furniture is illustrated. 

It is made of three boxes screwed together, as shown in 
Fig. 27. The lid of the middle box is hinged, and the end 
boxes are stood on end. One end box is shorter than the 
other, and in both of them shelves are arranged for shoes, 
slippers, or sandals. A back is made of two boards and 
attached at the rear of the boxes. The top of each box 
and the face of the back are padded with curled hair or 
moss filling that may be had from an upholsterer, and 
covered with some upholstery material. Buttons and string 
are caught down into the top of the padded surface to give 
the tufted effect shown in the illustration, and the sides and 
fronts of the boxes are hidden with valances. Gimp and 
large-headed nails finish the edges as shown, and when the 
wood-work is given a coat of paint this window-seat and 
shoe-box is ready for use. 







Chapter XXIII 


HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES 

I N and around the house there is opportunity for the 
creation of a number of useful articles that can be made 
by any boy who is at all handy with tools. For example, 
the tops of doorways and windows in a dining-room may 
be improved by the addition of narrow shelves, or ledges, 
on which old plates, slim jugs, or some quaint old bottles 
may rest. 

These ledges may be made from pine, white-wood, cypress, 
or other wood to match the trim. The wood should not be 
more than half or five-eighths of an inch in thickness, as 
shown at Fig. i. The shelves should be three or four inches 
in width, with a straight front, or slightly curved, as shown 
in Fig. 2. This curve is called a serpentine line, and may 
be shaped with a draw-knife; or, if the wood is soft, it can 
easily be cut with a compass-saw and finished off with a 
draw-knife and sand-paper. 

Two brackets cut from wood the same thickness as the 
shelf will support it at either end. These are cut three 
inches wide at the top and from six to eight inches long, in 
the shapes shown in Fig. 3. 

It gives a more attractive finish to extend the ends of the 

347 


INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 

ledge two or three inches beyond the door or window trim, 
as shown in the illustration of Fig. i. 

A Plate-rail 

For cups and small pitchers a plate-rail may be arranged 
around the walls of a dining-room, as shown at Fig. 4. 

A wall-plate six or eight inches wide is made fast to the 
wall about five feet up from the floor, and to it, at intervals 
of twenty to thirty inches, brackets are screwed fast. These 
are cut in one of the forms shown in Fig. 3, and are three 
inches wide. The top shelf is four inches wide, and is laid 
on the tops of the brackets and pushed back against the 
wall, where the rear edge is screwed fast to the top edge of 
the wall-plate. Where the rail meets a doorway or win¬ 
dow-casing the corner is rounded, as shown in the illustra¬ 
tion. This may be done with a compass-saw and small 
plane. A narrow strip of wood is nailed fast to the top of 
the rail about two inches out from the wall, to prevent 
the plates from sliding off. 

A narrow plate-rail may be attached to the wall higher 
up, or about in the position occupied by a picture-mould¬ 
ing. Shorter brackets should support it, and they may be 
attached directly to the wall without the aid of a wall-plate, 
since the latter would give a heavy appearance to a rail at 
that height. 

A Cup and Plate Rack 

It is hardly advisable to give definite dimensions for the 
cup and plate rack (Fig. 5), since it should be designed in 

348 






_____ HOUSEHOLD CO NVE NIENCE^_ 

accordance with the amount of wall room that may be 
available. The rack shown in Fig. 5 is intended for a wall 
space three feet wide and seventy-two inches high. The 
two uprights are made of white-wood thirty-nine inches 
high, three inches wide, and half an inch thick. The lower 



ends are tapered, as shown in the drawing, and the upper 
ends are fashioned with a compass-saw. The brackets are 
six inches wide, nine inches long, and half an inch from the 
outer edge a depression is cut in the top to receive a half- 
inch dowel. 

The shelves on which the plates rest are three inches 

349 























INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


wide and twenty-one inches long. The dowels extend 
from three to six inches over each end, as shown in the 
drawing. From their under-sides cups may be suspended 
on hooks screwed into the wood. The front edges of the 
shelves are provided with a strip of wood fastened on with 
slim, steel-wire nails, to prevent the plates from, sliding 
forward, as shown in Fig. 6, which is a plan of the arrange¬ 
ment of bracket, shelf, and dowel. The dowels can be had 
at a hardware store for two or three cents each, and from 
a quarter of an inch to the diameter of a small curtain-pole. 


A Cup and Plate Pyramid 

The cup and plate pyramid (Fig. 7) is another attractive 
dining-room feature and is very simple to construct. Three 
of the shelves are cut with a serpentine front, as shown in 
Fig. 8 A, and measure twenty-six, twenty-two, and eighteen 
inches respectively; while the top one is twelve inches long 
and cut as shown in Fig. 8 B. The shelves are six inches 
wide at the middle, and three of them are two and a half 
inches wide at the ends. 

Short brackets one and a half inches wide and two and a 

half inches long support the shelves at the ends. Under the 

« 

middle of the bottom shelf a large bracket five and a half 
inches wide and eight inches long is cut and made fast with 
long, slim screws driven down through the bottom shelf. 
A notch is cut at the front of each shelf, and a correspond¬ 
ing one in the staff that binds the shelves together, so that 
they are spaced, from the bottom up, eleven, ten, and nine 
inches apart. Slim, steel-wire nails two inches long will 

35o 










HOUSEHOLD CONVENI ENCES 

secure the brackets to the wall, or long, slim screws may be 
used. 

A Butler's Tray 

For the house that is not built with a butler’s pantry, or 
for the mother who does her own housework, the tray and 



drop-ledge shown in Fig. 9 will be found a very convenient 
piece of dining-room furniture. 

Two brackets on hinges will support the shelf when it is 
up. When it is dropped the brackets fold in against the 
wall, as shown in Fig. 10. 

The ledge and brackets are of pine wood three-quarters 
of an inch thick and planed on all sides and edges. The 

35i 

















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS_ 

tray is of white-wood five-eighths of an inch thick, and 
put together securely with glue and screws. The ends and 
handle-grips are cut with a compass-saw and finished with 
sand-paper; then the tray is stained and varnished to match 
the shelf and brackets. 

Back of the drop-shelf a strip of wood two inches wide 
is fastened to the wall by means of a wall-plate securely 
screwed to the studding, and two vertical plates one inch 
thick make an anchorage for the brackets. The latter are 
attached by means of fiat hinges, and the shelf proper is 
also hinged to the two-inch wall-plate. All these parts 
must be screwed very solidly together if the safety of the 
household crockery is to be considered. 

Cup-pins and Brush-rack 

In the butler’s pantry or near the kitchen sink it is 
sometimes convenient to have a brush-rack and some cup- 
pins, on which cups, drinking-glasses, and small hollow- 
ware may be kept. 

These are easily made, as the illustration (Fig. u) will 
show. The cup-pins are dowels sawed in five-inch lengths, 
and then made fast to a square pine stick with slim 
screws passed through holes that have first been made with 
an awl. The rack is then attached to the wall with screws 
passed into the studs or uprights behind the plaster. 

The brush-rack is made from two pine sticks, one of which 
is cut out in places, as shown in Fig. 12. The two sticks 
are then screwed together and supported on brackets. 
Brushes kept in a drawer or on a shelf do not dry properly, 

352 









HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES 


so that it is always best to place them where they have a 
free circulation of air. 


Lock-shelves 

In a cellar or store-room it is often convenient to have a 
portion of the shelves arranged so that their contents can 
be locked up. For this purpose Fig. 13 shows a slat door 
arranged in front of several shelves and hung on hinges. 
At the lower edge a hasp and eye may be made fast, so as 
to make a padlock available. 

The slats are from one-half to seven-eighths of an inch 
thick and two inches wide; they are fastened to battens 
with clinch-nails or screws driven from the inside. A smart 
boy can make any number of these doors so as to lock up a 



NC t j4 


whole lot of shelving, but for convenience of handling they 
should not be more than four feet long. 

A Vegetable-bin 

For a corner of the cellar, and where it is convenient to 
the staircase, a very useful vegetable-bin may be made from 

353 


23 















INDOOR BOOKJ^OR BOYS_ 

a few boards and slats (Fig. 14). The bin may be of any 
width and length, but for a house of the average size, it 
need not be more than six feet long and eighteen inches wide 
each compartment being from sixteen to eighteen inches wide. 

The front, back, and ends are ten inches high, and two 
of the partitions are the same height. The partitions for 
the potato and turnip compartments should extend eigh¬ 
teen inches above the top of the bin, since these vegetables 
bulk largely. The bin rests on two battens nailed to the 
brick or stone foundation-walls of the cellar, two feet above 
the floor. At the exposed corner a foot, or leg, twenty-four 
inches long, supports it. The bottom of the bin is made of 
long slats nailed an inch apart, so that the dirt from the 
vegetables will fall through to the floor, from which it can 
be easily swept up. The ventilation from the slat bottom 
prevents the vegetables from decaying as quickly as they 
would in a box or barrel with a tight bottom. 

Across the tops of the high partitions, and propped up at 
the exposed end of the bin, a shelf or ledge ten inches wide 
will accommodate cabbages, lettuce, bunches of carrots 
and beets, parsnips, and various other vegetables. In the 
illustration only five compartments are shown in the main 
part of the bin, but a bin of almost any length can be con¬ 
structed according to the space available and the require¬ 
ments of the family. 

A Spoon-bar and Saucepan-rack 

For the kitchen, a rack on which to hang spoons, ladles, 
saucepans, cups, and other small accessories to the culinary 
department is shown in Fig. 15. 

354 










__ household conveniences _ 

It can be made to fit any wall space in a kitchen, but the 
brackets should be twenty inches high and ten inches wide 
at the top. They may be made from most any wood one 
and a half inches square, and put together with lap-joints. 
Three rails, seven-eighths by two inches, are attached to 
the inside of the front bracket-rails or supports, with long, 
slim screws or steel-wire nails. All the wood-work is painted 
two coats of white enamel, or any color to match the wood¬ 
work of the kitchen. Brass screws or galvanized nails are 
driven in the bars at regular distances apart, on which to 
hang the utensils, and the rack is then to be securelv at¬ 
tached to the wall. 

A Medicine-chest 

Every house should contain a medicine-chest, where the 
necessary boxes and bottles containing the family medi¬ 
cines may always be found in time of need. Chests may 
be made in any size and shape, and adapted to the spaces 
they may occupy on a wall or in a bath-room closet. 

A convenient chest is shown in Fig. 16, and in Fig. 17 is 
given the plan of construction. For the average household 
it should be made eighteen inches wide and twenty-four 
inches high, with two shelves arranged so that the space 
between the lower one and the bottom of the box will be 
eight and a half inches. The space between the upper one 
and the top should be six inches, and between shelves seven 
and a half inches. The top and bottom wall-plates should 
measure four inches wide, and they are attached to the top 
and bottom of the box by means of screws driven into the 
edge of each through the top and bottom of the box. 

355 








INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 



A door is made from three pieces of board across the ends 
of which battens are made fast, as shown in the plan draw¬ 
ing. This is attached to the box by means of hinges, and 
a catch at the other side will keep it closed. The wall- 
plates and sides of the chest should be stained and var¬ 
nished, and the door covered with burlap glued fast or tack¬ 
ed at the inner side. The letters, ornament, and imitation 
nail-heads are cut from sheet-lead, scraps of which can be 
purchased at a plumber’s shop, shaped with a shears, or an 
old knife, and light mallet, and afterwards trimmed with 

356 































































HOUS EHO LD C ONVENIEN CES 

a penknife blade or a file. They may be attached to the 
door with slim, steel-wire nails, and painted black with a 
coating made by adding dry lamp-black to thin shellac, and 
a Pplyi n g it i n one or two thin coats with a soft-hair brush. 

Be careful to anchor this chest securely to the wall, as 
bottles are heavy and their weight must be taken into 
consideration. 

A Convenient Plant-tray 

In the illustration of a convenient plant-tray (Fig. 18) 
an idea is suggested for a receptacle that will accommodate 
several small pots in the lower tray and a large pot, or 
jardiniere, on the middle deck. 

The tray is thirty-six inches long and twelve inches 
wide and at the ends is four inches deep. But at the mid¬ 
dle the sides are eight inches high, and support the stage 
or deck, which is thirteen inches square. 

The tray is made of wood three-quarters of an inch thick 
and planed on both sides. 

The legs are two inches square and twenty-four inches 
long, and at the bottom they are slightly tapered with a 
draw-knife and plane. 

They are fastened to the inner side of the tray at the 
corners with long, slender screws driven down through the 
bottom of the tray and into the top of the legs. 

Bracket-braces are let into the legs in lap-cuts made with 
saw and chisel, as shown at Fig. 19, and at the ends rails 
are let in between the legs to hold them rigidly. 

The screws attaching these joints may be covered with 
mock nail-heads. The ornament at the side of the tray is 

357 












INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


cut from sheet-lead with a stout pair of shears, painted 
black, and applied to the wood with flat-headed tacks or 
gimp-nails. 

An Indispensable Clothes-press 

The available room in any clothes-closet can be more 
than doubled by adopting clothes-hangers and a rod. Fig. 
20 shows the plan of a closet seen from above. 

The projections around the outer edge represent hooks, 
while the bar through the middle and the cross-sticks rep¬ 
resent the space gained. 

Fig. 21 shows the usual rail and shelf, but under them are 
the bar and hangers that represent the new feature. This 
is a great improvement upon the ordinary closet, even 
when drop-hooks are used under the shelves for the sup¬ 
port of hangers carrying clothes. The work necessary for 
this arrangement is * very simple. 

Obtain two sockets and a small curtain-rod, and fit the 
rod into the sockets screwed to the wall under the hook- 
rail, taking care to drive long, slender screws through the 
plaster. From a hardware or house-furnishing store ob¬ 
tain a number of coat-hangers composed of a wood bar and 
iron hook. These can be had at all prices from two for 
five cents to twenty-five cents each, or if it is impossible to 
purchase them they can be sawed out of wood by any 
boy and provided with iron-wire hooks. The bars are 
eighteen inches across and slightly curved at the top, like 
one’s shoulders. Underneath the bars, near the ends, 
small hooks may be screwed into place, on which trousers 
may be hung by using clamps (Fig. 22). In this manner 

358 








HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES 


from four to six suits can be hung to every running foot of 
the pole. 

This method will keep the coat or trousers in shape. 
If loops are sewn fast to the skirt-band, the skirt will hang 



PLAN or CLQ5E.T 



on the two lower hooks much better than on a single hook, 
when this system is applied to mother’s or sister’s closets. 

This device is so simple and useful that once tried it 
will always be used, and where economy of space is a feature, 

359 























































































































































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


this idea is a valuable one for both the city and country 
house. 

A Divan 

A comfortable divan banked up with pillows is always 
an inviting addition to a room, and helps to furnish it. In 
Fig. 23 an idea is given for a piece of furniture that will 
serve a double purpose—that is, a couch and a skirt or trou¬ 
sers press, with a compartment for shirt-waists or fancy 
waistcoats. 

In Fig. 24 the box, or framework, is shown. It is five feet 
six inches long, twenty-eight inches wide, and fifteen inches 
high. 

The tray is ten inches deep, and divided into a long and 
short compartment. This is supported by the ends, which 
are fifteen inches high, and made from several pieces of 
board with matched edges. Corner-brackets at front and 
back lend additional strength, and prevent the frame from 
racking. 

The top, or lid, is made from several matched boards held 
together with two or three battens; it opens on three or 
four stout hinges securely screwed into the wood of the back. 

A valance is made of some good upholstery material, 
and tacked all around the upper edge of the box. For the 
couch proper use a mattress which is to be placed on the 
lid, and covered with the cloth used for the valance. This 
should be tacked securely to the under side of the lid. 
This will hold the mattress in place and make a good finish 
for the edges of the top. 

Make a few holes through the lid, and with a long needle 

360 





LOUNGE AND CORNER DRESSING-TABLE 





































INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


pass a string up through them, through a stout button and 
down again, where the string is to be tied around a tack, 
and then the tack is driven in so as to hold the string 
securely. This will give a tufted effect to the cushion top, 
and will make the mattress more secure. 

Run a line of gimp or narrow belting around the top of 
the box over the tacks that fasten the valance, and with 
large, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks make a line of heads 
three inches apart all around the sides and front. This 
will make an effective finish. 

A Corner Dressing-table 

A very pretty dressing-table for the corner of a girl’s 
room is shown in the illustration (Fig. 25). This can be 
made by a boy for his sister, or by a girl with a liking for 
such work. As shown in Fig. 26, it is built up on a sugar 
barrel, which is thirty inches high and twenty-four inches 
across at the widest place. When it is inverted, screws or 
nails can be driven through the bottom to hold the triangu¬ 
lar ledge or table-top in place. 

Three boards should be cut to form a quarter of a circle 
thirty inches long on the two straight sides, as shown in 
Fig. 26 A. The sweep, or curved edge, is one-quarter of a 
five-foot circle. Fig. 26 A also shows how this quarter-circle 
is placed on the top of the barrel. 

To keep the boards together, two battens thirty inches 
long are nailed or screwed underneath the straight edges. 

Screws rather than nails should be used in fastening the 
quarter-circle to the barrel. They will not pull out or work 
loose so readily as nails. 


362 






HO USEH OLD C ONVE NIE N C E S 

The canopy top is supported on a framework consisting 
of three sticks, each three feet long, and a triangular top 
made of three short sticks, as Fig. 26 shows. At the top 
the sticks are joined as shown in B, and the lower ends are 
attached to the table-top with long, slim, steel-wire nails. 



Tic, 25- 


If the color scheme of the room is pink, pale-green, or 
canary color, this same color may be carried out in the 
drapery. Sateen or colored cotton goods may be overlaid 
with a dotted swiss or scrim, and tacked to the framework. 

3 6 3 




















INDOOR BOOK FOR BOYS 


At the bottom a valance is made and caught to the circu¬ 
lar edge of the ledge, which is covered with gimp held by 
brass-headed tacks. 

The upper sticks of the frame are bound with strips of 
white muslin before the drapery is attached. This is to 
prevent the wood from showing through the goods, and 
also to make an anchorage in which some stitches can be 
taken, if necessary, to hold the canopy drapery in place. 

For this top it will be necessary to have two swiss or thin 
scrim coverings, between which one thickness of the colored 
material is laid. Both sides of the drapery will be seen, 
and it is necessary to show the colored goods on both sides. 

A shirred band of the goods may be arranged along the 
top stick of the canopy, and bows at the corners of the top 
and the edge will add to its appearance. 

An oval or square mirror in a white or light enamelled 
frame can be suspended by wires from the top. 

The directions as to methods and the suggestions of 
designs given in this book open a broader and more invit¬ 
ing field, it is believed, than has been accessible in similar 
form before. That there is need of a new handy-book com¬ 
prehensive, well tested, and designed on practical modem 
lines seems to be indicated by the popularity of the pre¬ 
ceding volumes in this series: Harper’s Outdoor Book for 
Boys and Harper’s Electricity Book for Boys , which, together 
with Harper’s How to Understand Electrical Work , form the 
modern “Boy’s Own Library.” 

X S 3 8 ' ^ 


THE END 

































































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